Puppet Master
by Shiro Chigo
Summary: A desperate cry for help is answered when Peach unconsciously calls upon a mysterious force to grant her the strength to fight. However, how far is she willing to go to keep up her prowess? Discontinued.
1. Chapter 1 Just Peachy

**Chapter One**

**Just Peachy**

"That wasn't as fun as I thought it would be..." said a defeated Peach. She was sitting in the courtyard by the fountain, gloomy. She had just lost another fight and decided to get some fresh air and calm down a bit. Though, the chilly air did nothing but make the pain of losing stick to her. She looked down onto the ground at the grass as it swayed in the cold breeze. Though cold as it might be, it wasn't enough to hurt the plants. The water of the fountain trickled onto the open water and a small mist rose out of the water. She looked to the trees and saw no signs of wildlife; it was most likely due to the upcoming winter that the birds were nowhere to be found today.

"Hmm..."

She wasn't sure what else she could do outside. She felt better once she took in a deep breath of cold air and exhaled slowly. The princess stood up, patted off her dress, and turned towards the front doors of the mansion.

"I just wish I could...really," she said to herself. She walked towards the front entrance, opened one of the double doors of the entrance and quickly got inside. The warmth that met her when she opened the door seemed inviting and secretly, she wondered why she had even gone outside in the chilly weather. The door closed with a loud rumble.

"Oops," she thought. The loud sound echoed and she looked around the parlor, hoping not to have startled anyone with her clumsiness. No one was here, apparently.

"Of course, they're all still battling. I'm probably the only one who fell out so early," she thought to herself, taking hold of the railing leading upstairs. She walked up and opened another pair of double doors and walked in. She then closed the door again, but quietly, facing it as she pulled it with both hands.

"Hey, there you are," said a voice behind her suddenly.

"Ah!"

She turned around and backed into the door, making another loud noise, startled. In front of her, stood a young man in regal clothing and a sword at his side. The blue-haired man was a prince, the Prince of Altea, a faraway kingdom. He smiled at her, but had an apologetic look on his face.

"What are you doing? Startling me..." she said, looking down at the ground again. She suddenly realized something and looked back towards him.

"Wait...you-?"

"Yes, princess, I lost early," he said, scratching the back of his head. "I got careless and managed to get blown up with one of those accursed Motion Sensor Bombs. I actually was the one who set it there." He chuckled, but was embarrassed.

"Well, at least yours was an accident. I was beaten, rolled up, and tossed aside," she replied, holding both of her hands behind her.

"Ah," he said, lifting his head a bit.

"I apologize," he said, bowing slightly.

"Why do you?" she asked.

"That they were so rough with you during your match. You're still a princess," he replied. Peach made a face, despite being taught to be lady-like.

"I'm not just a princess. I survived so many kidnappings that I've grown tough enough to look after myself," she retorted with a huff.

"Ah, I'm sorry," he said, smiling nervously.

"No!!" yelled a voice. The both of them were shaken by the loud noise. Marth could've sworn her saw the nearby night stand shake slightly as well.

"Who could that be?" said Peach, turning to look at an opening door and out of it came an angry Jigglypuff.

"I can't believe I let that Pikachu throw me around and shock me like some mental patient!" she yelled. She gritted her teeth and her left eye twitched. The nightstand behind the door nearly toppled as she yelled.

"Don't make so much noise. There will be other times," said a deep voice. It seemed to come from nowhere. Peach turned around and tried to find the source, but to no avail. But it was unique enough to be remembered and maybe even _feared_ by the inhabitants of the mansion. Marth smiled.

"Mewtwo, how come you are here?"

A dark figure stood in the shadows ominously, his tail partially revealed by the light. Mewtwo came out into the open, hovering just inches above the ground. He had his arms crossed like always and an intimidating expression plastered on his face.

"I couldn't bear to watch anymore. The present match was horrific. That Pichu was knocking everyone out of the ring," he replied.

"Really, our little Pichu?" asked Peach.

"The only itemed that appeared was a Hammer," he said brusquely, looking up towards the ceiling. Peach giggled and Jigglypuff fell over with a "Puff!"

"Hmm, now I have the urge to go watch a match, would you like to join me, princess?" asked Marth, holding out his hand. Peach was flattered, but was still with the after effects of her last match.

"I would, but I'd like to rest for a while. I'll come by later when I can," she sighed, walking past him and down the hall in a hurry. Mewtwo already knew how bad she was feeling, being able to feel the auras surrounding individuals, and didn't stop her. Jigglypuff started to rampage again when the speaker by their spot announced that Pikachu was one of the winners of the matches being held and the sound of breaking glass could be heard. Walking through the hallways, Peach avoided making conversation with anyone she had passed by on her little scurry. With the confused looks of Young Link and Roy, and the greetings from Samus and Captain Falcon were ignored, Princess Peach found her room, went inside, closed the door and dropped onto her bed, bouncing just a bit. She closed her eyes for a moment, frowning, and then opening them again to stare at the decorated ceiling of her room. It somewhat resembled her chambers in the Mushroom Kingdom, but had less space and only a portion of her belongings were allowed to be taken with her. Her golden crown separated from her head and lay next to her pillow. She merely stared at the inactive light above her head.

"Oh! I wish I was better at fighting!" she shouted to herself.

"I'm tired of being knocked out before the match begins. I'm tired of the same people using the same technique six times and hitting me with all six of them! I'm tired of people ridiculing me because I'm not a fighter! I'm…I'm tired of...of-" she shouted, beginning to cry. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes and she turned over and cried, muffling out the sound. She grabbed the closet pillow she could and hid her face in it, sobbing for just a few moments before repositioning herself into a sleeping position. The tears that welled up in her eyes began to diminish as she shut her eyes.

". . ."

"Hmm?" she said, sniffling. She lifted her head and looked around her room; but there was nothing. The door was closed, the windows were locked; she was by herself, but she could sense someone nearby.

"Who's there?" she asked.

". . ."

She became tense and stood up, alarmed. Someone was in her room. Was it Mewtwo? No, he wouldn't come visit her. Why would he? Was it Pichu being mischievous? No, he was currently in a battle. Then who was it? The mirror stirred.

"What? Is someone trying to scare me?" she yelled, wiping the tears from her eyes. She looked from her standing spot to her large revolving mirror. She walked over to it and stood there, her reflection mimicking her every move. She moved her right hand up to her chest and her reflection did the same. She leaned forward, then back, and spun around. There was nothing out of the ordinary. She decided to place it on her stressful day and turned to lie on her bed again. Her reflection did not turn around, and its hand extended, as if trying to grab her. A gloved arm escaped the mirror and grabbed onto her right shoulder. Peach was startled and screamed, turning suddenly. She met her own face, moving out of the mirror, leaving ripple-like effects as if throwing a stone into a pond. Being face to face, she saw the horror that was indeed the intruder in her room; it had her face and the same browned adorned its head, yet its entire body was colored with a thick black, and almost all of its appendages had the most sickening swirls. Loops of hair trailed from the mimic's head and even its fingertips upon the princess' shoulder were curled. Peach saw that the neck had elongated and the body was still within the mirror along with its arm. She gasped and she shook.

"W-What is this?!" she cried. The creature opened its mouth and held it in place, showing a gaping hole of darkness. Its eyes were wide and terrified, looking straight into the princess'. It then let out a horrifying, low, moaning sound. As it did, its whole body distorted with a couple moments between each occurrence. Each time it reminded her of looking at a television screen that had bad reception.

"_Ah..._"

The hand upon Peach's shoulder was brought up and slowly was brought to the back of her head, along with the creature's other arm. She closed her eyes, hoping to God that is was only a nightmare and that she would wake up at any moment now, right before the climax. She felt cold, rigid fingers grasp her hair and she cried out before being enveloped in a whirling cloud of darkness. Her drapes flapped like the window had opened and a strong wind came and one of her windows broke; her blanket flew off of her bed and got caught on the mirror, covering it. The cloud of darkness seemed to be disturbed and stopped, leaving Peach to fall onto the ground, hard. It seemed to shudder and seem to be lost. It then floated down towards Peach. She had fainted from the spectacle and laid flat on the ground, her back to the ceiling. The black cloud covered her like a blanket and just seemed to disappear. A few moments later, there was a knock on her door.

"Princess?" said a familiar voice. The doorknob turned and the door opened. Marth had entered her room carefully, hoping not to have disturbed her at all.

"I heard you shouting to yourself and I thought I'd come and-!" he began before he stopped and was shocked. Peach's room was an absolute mess. The blanket barely hanging onto the large mirror, the shards of glass on the floor, some of the wallpaper on the wall had peeled off and her Highness was on the ground.

"Princess!" he cried as he knelt down at her side. He lifted her head and she began to stir.

"Princess, are you alright?"

"Ah..." she said, opening her eyes. Her vision was blurry before it cleared up as she could see Marth smiling with relief. She blinked and then something suddenly came back to her.

"Ah!" she cried, before lifting her left hand and smacking him on the side of his face. He was surprised and was knocked back and fell on his back. Peach had landed on her arms and she helped herself up before realizing what she just did.

"I apologize, princess," he began, rubbing his cheek.

"Ah, this really hurts," he mumbled.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" she said, covering her mouth with her hands.

"It's alright, princess. I shouldn't have startled you again," he said, smiling.

"It's just that...wait," she began.

"What happened?!"

She looked around her and saw shards of glass all around the floor and the room itself in a mess of her belongings.

"Calm down. Please, tell me what happened," the prince told her.

"Well, uh...I was in my room trying to get some rest and there was this noise. I could hear it, but it wasn't like anything normal. It was like sensing someone being there, but no one actually was. I saw my mirror move and I walked over. I looked at myself in the mirror and found nothing strange until I turned to leave. I saw myself come out and grab me. Once "_I_" did, there was a whirling black and I think I fainted..." she summarized. Marth listened attentively, but could make no sense of it.

"Are you hurt at all, princess?" he asked.

"No, I don't think I am," she replied. She looked over her shoulder and at her back, tapped her foot on the ground, and felt around her head. She wasn't.

"Good, I will go and report this disturbance," he said to her, turning to leave.

"Wait!" she shouted to him, extending her hand to grab his shoulder. She stopped, though, as he turned around.

"Could I...come with you?"

She sounded shaken and nervous. Marth sighed and couldn't help but smile. A damsel in distress wasn't as common here at the Smash Mansion as it was back in his home kingdom of Altea.

"Alright, I will escort you to Master Hand, though, he's quite busy. Let us leave, princess."

**End of Chapter One**


	2. Chapter 2 Meetings and Gatherings

**Chapter Two**

**Meetings and Gatherings**

The two headed down the halls of the great and renowned Smash Mansion. Peach felt light-headed as she walked quickly to keep up with the rushing prince. The battles were beginning to end and the various names of the winners floated throughout the mansion. Pikachu, Mewtwo, Roy, Zelda, Pichu, and Samus were the announced winners out of the seven matches that were to be held. The next match would begin in the next half hour or so. Marth began to head upstairs, keeping his left hand on the handle of his sword and Peach followed from behind. She did not worry about her dress and kept up to speed with him. The large double doors were already opened and the large room they headed into was silent, the fire crackling nearby let a soft glow into the room. It was like a private study. Books on the shelf, antiquities placed in various areas of the room, large pictures of the Smash Mansion in its early years, and a round table. Small figurines of the fighters were placed on a special shelf above the fireplace. Peach noticed a spot on the line-up that was empty; between the figures of Luigi and Bowser, there was an empty area for another figure.

"Huh? There's something missing," she said softly to Marth. He turned to his left and before his eyes reached the empty spot, he noticed a small figure on the ground by him.

"Here. I think I just found a missing person," he chuckled, bending down to pick up a figure of a woman. She was in a graceful pose; her left arm extended forward as if stretching, her face looking over her shoulder with her eyes closed. It was Peach.

"Oh, it's just me," she said sadly. Marth sighed and then smiled again and he walked over to the fireplace and placed her in her own spot. The line-up was now complete and the shelf looked whole again. As Marth backed away from the hearth, a loud noise suddenly rang out.

"Ack!" said an ethereal voice. The two were startled and took one step back. The fireplace seemed to shudder and before their eyes, a line split it vertically, separating half the figurines, but the fireplace's border still in place. The right side slid into the wall a couple inches inward before moving to the right even further, revealing a secret passage way. The two could only see darkness within the doorway; eerie darkness. Marth held onto the hilt of his sword as he crept closer to the passage before a loud banging noise. He jumped back and out of the passage came a giant white glove, crashing into the room, making contact with the wall opposite the fireplace.

"Oh!" cried Peach and she fell on her side from the sudden shockwave that followed. Marth quickly rushed to her side and pulled her to her feet before turning to face the now wrinkled glove.

"Ah, it hurts more than it looks," said the glove. His voice was almost like a grandfather of a family's. He looked like what would happen to a normal glove that's been stuffed in a box with other spacey belongings; a wrinkled mess. But this glove seemed to just rise out of the wall like magic and in a few moments the master of the mansion hovered before them.

"Hello there! I apologize about what you saw earlier. Please, just don't ask about that err...uh passage," he said nervously.

"Why were you behind that fireplace?" asked a curious Peach. She tilted her head to one side, raised an eyebrow, and glanced at the fireplace.

"Well, I guess I should tell you, seeing as how you two are the only ones to see it. Those figurines you see there, right? If all of them are on the shelf, I can access the area behind it. The figures could not actually be moved except by me, but apparently one of them probably fell down. I'm still wondering about that part," Master Hand replied, making a pointing and an "Understand?" gesture like a real person would do with their hands. Peach was awed at such a mechanism, using statues of his fighters as a kind of key. She even felt flattered in a way. Marth stepped forward.

"Well, now that that is out of the way, I have to report a disturbance," he said with a serious look.

"What happened? Did Pichu get stuck in the cookie jar again or is Young Link hogging all the milk?" he asked. The way he said it would've made you believe it was sarcasm, but they were indeed true.

"No, this one isn't humorous," replied Marth.

"Oh? Does it have to do with the princess, eh...prince?"

"Yes. I believe it may be dangerous to her and everyone else. It-"

"The next match is about to begin!" said a feminine voice. It came from the speakers that were placed in every room and in the halls. No one has actually seen the woman or man who announces events, but they've left it alone.

"I will now randomly call the losers of the last six matches for the final battle! This is your chance to get back up into the ranks! Alright, here I go!"

Peach looked up at the speaker with a kind of anxiety and nervousness. She normally was not very enthusiastic with her battles, but she had adrenaline now.

"First...Bowser!" she shouted. A faint roar could be heard somewhere in the mansion. Peach almost smiled. The one who loved to kidnap her and hide her away somewhere had lost.

"Second...Captain Falcon!" she shouted again.

Marth looked at Peach and saw the hope in her eyes. She wanted to fight again?

"Third…Ness!" she said gleefully.

Peach held both of her hands together as if praying, but keeping her eyes locked onto that speaker.

"And finally, the lucky fighter who will join is..."

She closed her eyes and hoped with all her mind. Something stirred. Rumbling sounds could be heard from the speaker along with eerie static. The announcer had not said a word for a couple moments.

"What?" she said aloud.

"What? I thought I got those things fixed a week ago!" yelled Master Hand, throwing himself in the air like a frustrated person would.

"Princess Peach!"

"Oh!" cried Peach as her eyes lit up. She seemed pumped to duke it out with the other fighters.

"I'm so sorry, but I have to go. Bye!" she said, waving to the both of them before rushing out of the door. Marth smiled and chuckled just a little. Master Hand laughed an old happy man's laugh.

"She sure seemed excited. I heard she was on a losing streak this month," he said to himself.

"When I was with her, she didn't seem so enthusiastic. I wonder what the sudden change in mood was," replied Marth.

She was full of adrenaline as she rushed down the halls and towards the double doors leading outside. She crashed through them, the doors banging against the walls and the loud sound echoing throughout the courtyard. She was happy, but was also frightful as she did not want to mess this up. She raced to another door leading into the gardens, stepping on a few flowers on the way. Just in the garden was a large domed building, just a few feet short of matching the size of the mansion. The doors were already open and she could see some familiar faces about; Zelda was kneeling by some of the azaleas she planted and was at peace, Pichu was happily playing with it's older brother, Pikachu, Roy was practicing with his sword by the entrance to the dome, and Ganandorf was spying on Zelda as he sat on a bench under one of the large willow trees. Peach could not have paid any attention and she jumped up the ground and up the steps. Roy looked confused to the pink blur that just flew by him.

"I'm almost there! Wait for me!" she thought as she ran through the hall. It had another path leading to the right, but that was where the announcer was to be seated. To the left was a hall leading towards the stands where the spectators sat to watch the intense matches. She, instead, went straight down the hall and met a pair of doors. She pushed them open and faced two of her opponents, Ness and Captain Falcon. Ness had out his bat and was practicing swinging with it, while Captain Falcon flexed and made various battle poses. They both stopped to stare at the wound up princess.

"Uh, Peach? Are you okay?" asked Ness.

"The little lady is ready to fight today!" said Captain Falcon, giving her a thumbs-up.

"Are we starting yet?" she asked as if in a hurry.

"Well, that ol' turtle still hasn't got here. I guess he'll run late," replied the captain.

Peach sighed and walked in towards the center where the other stood. She could hear loud footsteps as she came closer.

"Huh?" she said, turning around.

"Agh, I'm here!" said a familiar, but dreaded voice. It belonged to Bowser, king of the koopas and Peach's kidnapper.

"What took you?" asked Ness.

Before the "great" king could answer after his laugh, the doors behind him slammed shut and he was startled, falling forward.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, are you ready? The seventh match of the day is about to begin!" asked the announcer lady. As she finished her sentence, four distinct circles rose from the ground around them, making a square if connected with lines.

"Step onto your platforms and we'll begin! Hurry, before the stage starts to shift!"

Peach jumped from her spot and onto her platform; she could tell it was hers from the blinking gold crown outlined in pink that showed. Ness and the other two got onto theirs and they were lifted high into the air by the propelled platforms. They were about as high as the domed-ceiling and the fall would be fatal. Ness cringed as he looked down to the ground; Bowser glanced over to Peach and Captain Falcon crossed his arms and waited for the stage to be set up. Before he turned away, Bowser glanced at Peach curiously. He could feel something from her. What was it?

**End of Chapter Two**


	3. Chapter 3 Surge of Power

**Chapter Three**

**Surge of Power**

The fighters were gathering. There was a distinct shape to the battle dome. It was in an oval shape, but one side was irregularly straight. Placed in that space were the stands. Everyone was gathering for the final match in the tournament. Zelda made her way up the stairway and choosing a seat in the middle of the stands. Link put away his sword and joined her. Roy dragged Marth up into the stands after finding him.

"You know, you ought to be in a place where people can find you," he said, annoyed.

"I was in the middle of a conversation with Master Hand. Did you have to interrupt?" Marth asked. They both sat down and began to bicker, Roy apparently winning. Mewtwo sat by himself. Kirby was struggling to find a seat with his arms full of snacks and drinks he got from the refreshment stand. He was about to make it when Pichu, still playing with its older brother, accidentally bumped into him, running around on the seats. Kirby fell flat on his face, the food flying into the air. He closed his eyes, awaiting his precious snacks to splatter all over the floor, making a mess. He paused for a couple more moments, but nothing came.

"…"

Kirby opened his eyes to see the food hovering in the air, outlined in blue. He was astonished and stood up. He turned to see Mewtwo, his arm outstretched, also glowing a dark blue color. Kirby smiled with glee as Mewtwo set the food neatly on the bench. Kirby however had other ideas. He grabbed the food and rushed over to Mewtwo, hopping on the seat next to him. He passed to Mewtwo a candy bar, smiling happily.

"No thank you…I don't want any," he replied, turning to the hovering platforms, still suspended in the air. He looked over to the princess who looked strong and defiant. He fists were balled and she glared at her opponents fiercely.

"Seeing the princess like this…worries me somewhat," he said aloud. Kirby was digging into the popcorn. He pulled his head out and looked at Mewtwo, as if oblivious. Mewtwo could also feel a menacing presence coming from the princess, but he could not identify it. Before long, the announcer lady spoke again.

"Okay, fighters! Just remember, this is a one-stock match. Simply KO your opponents one time to win! Here is your battlefield!" shouted the announcer lady. The floor that used to be where the fighters stood was split in half and began to separate like the plates of the earth. The dome rumbled as the black darkness underneath was revealed. It was like looking into the ocean, never seeing the bottom. Sometimes the fighters wonder why the Smash Mansion was built upon what seemed to be nothingness. But something began to rise from the dark abyss. The tip of a red roof began to be elevated and before long, the roof of a castle was their battlefield. Peach could recognize it. It was her castle, or rather a replica. There was actually nothing inside unlike the real castle in the Mushroom Kingdom. It was good for her to see her home again, though she hasn't been to the kingdom in a long while. The grass and small pond were also artificial. The beautiful stained glass window of her adorned the center of the largest tower. She had no time to look at herself.

"Are you ready?" the announcer lady asked. Then suddenly, everything changed. Peach could see the stands disappeared and even the entire dome. Everything seemed to melt away and in its place, the environment around her castle. The grass came to life and the lakes were alive with the wind blowing through them. She could feel it run through her hair as if she was home again. She then remembered she was still standing on her platform. Bowser, Ness, and Captain Falcon were also on theirs. The platforms lowered to about a couple feet above the rooftop. She then heard the announcer woman's voice again.

"3!"

Ness readied himself as did the rest of the fighters.

"2!"

Peach made a soft noise as her body tingled with anxiety.

"1!"

Bowser roared loudly as the shear power of it rocked the castle.

"Fight!"

The platforms disappeared under them and they were forced to land on their own feet. Ness simply softened to the fall using his mind. Captain Falcon and Bowser landed with a thud onto the ground. Peach however had a knack for falling down onto the battlefield, harming her. But this time, she immediately jumped off the platform before they disappeared and made a beeline for Captain Falcon.

"Heads up!" she yelled. Captain Falcon looked up to see a heel crash into his helmet, sending him backwards. Peach landed on the ground swiftly before charging at him. He was surprised and reoriented himself. Peach was running, her dress billowing. She placed one hand forward with the other on the back of the first and slammed into Captain Falcon's chest. He was once again knocked away. He recovered in the air.

"She's been practicing," he said in his mind. She jumped up into the air after him. She wasn't going to let him get away.

"Even though hitting a woman is not something I want to do, I gotta make it through this match. Here I go!"

He looked down at the princess and his feet began to emanate flames. He pointed them in her direction.

"Falcon Kick!" he yelled. The flames became large, engulfing the captain as he sped down towards her at full force. Right before landing a hit on her, she whipped out her parasol and burst into the air, the attack missing her.

"What?"

He landed on the ground hard, though on his feet. Meanwhile, Ness was tossing Bowser around with his PS abilities. Bowser was helpless as he was hurled in all directions. Before being thrown again Bowser retreated into his shell. He spun around abruptly, catching Ness of guard and slamming into him hard.

"Gah!" cried Ness as he was knocked into the air. Bowser landed and then jumped forward slashing with his powerful claw at Ness, sending him even further away. Bowser looked at Ness's direction and saw Captain Falcon get hurled into Ness. Bowser was shocked.

"The princess is kicking Falcon's butt? Oh this is rich," he muttered. An item appeared behind him. He turned to see a motion sensor bomb. An idea popped into his head.

"Let's see how the princess likes this!" he said, tossing the bomb against the side of the middle tower. He was planning on tossing her into it, letting the explosion blow her into oblivion. He couldn't harm the princess himself.

"Whoa!" cried Captain Falcon as he landed on his fee again, though he was in pain. Ness almost fell off the stage and into the water until he clung to the side of the roof. Peach jumped onto the top of the middle tower.

"And where do you think you're going?' she asked. Captain Falcon braced himself. He didn't expect the princess to get so strong so quickly. She crouched and something sprouted from where she stood. Leaves of a plant of some kind had sprouted beneath her feet. She grabbed onto them, and pulled out a vegetable. The veggies she plucked always had a face on them, telling the fighters what kind of strength they're dealing with from a simple smiling face to a beaten up and battered one. He looked at the vegetable to try to identify it. What was on it wasn't anything familiar. She could see him staring at the veggie and she purposely showed him the face.

"!"

The face was smiling indeed and nothing to be afraid of. That is, until a moment later, something began to drip from its empty eyes. Something red and thick…it was almost like…blood. Captain Falcon gasped and took a step back. Peach smiled and tossed it at him. He immediately jumped up, expecting the vegetable to do enormous damage. As it flew under him and landed on an unsuspecting Ness. It was so fast. The moment it impacted with Ness's head, you could hear him yell before he was instantly blasted away into the water below, KO'ing him.

"Ness, defeated!" shouted the announcer lady. Captain Falcon was shocked as was Bowser. But the captain was still in the air and did not see the princess jump up to him, her crown in hand.

"Like I said heads…up!" she yelled as she slammed the blunt part of the crown right into his cheek with all of her might. He could feel a wave of pain surge through him as he helplessly fell into the water after Ness.

"Captain Falcon, defeated!" shouted the announcer. Peach landed on one of the floating platforms and looked down at where the two fighters vanished. It suddenly struck her that there was one person left. It was-

"Gotcha!" said a voice. She could feel a huge hand grab her from the platform. At the same time a loud rumbling sound could be heard from a distance. Bowser had gotten a hole of her.

"You're mine now, princess!" he laughed. Peach was struggling about to get out of his hands. Bowser's grip around her waist did not lighten.

"Let me go, now!" she cried. She tried to swipe at his face; she kicked at him, screaming. He backed his face away, avoiding her futile attempts to get at him. He laughed.

"If you don't let go, I'll have to hurt you," she warned. Bowser laughed again. Peach became angry and loosened up her right shoe. Bowser was too busy saying things to himself. She waited for the right moment. He opened his eyes and was about to speak to her when she kicked her shoe, aiming right for his eye. The heel of the shoe hit against his eyelid as he blinked right before, closing them on instinct at seeing the flying object come at him.

"Gah!" he cried. Peach took this moment to try to get away, but his grip seemed to only get tighter. She cried out in frustration.

"Grr! Just for that, I'll KO you right now!" he said, before he turned around and hurling Peach into the set motion sensor bomb he placed on the wall. She could not take action as the force of the throw was too much for her. She came inches from the bomb and it detonated. A loud explosion rang out and Peach was sent the other way, engulfed in flames. She could feel the burning sensation as she feel towards the water.

"Hah! I'm the winner!" he shouted with an obnoxious tone. Moments passed as he waited for the splash that confirmed Peach's loss. But it never came. Bowser looked at the edge of the castle's roof and nothing clutched it. The rumbling sounds heard earlier came closer and Bowser knew what it was. He looked up to see a giant Bullet Bill heading this way and he had to get out of harm's way, but he had t investigate Peach's survival. He walked over to the edge, slowly. To his horror, there was a green platform, suspended in the air.

"Oh no, she activated it," he exclaimed. He turned around to try to get away, but instead saw the giant Bullet Bill drill into the upper left side of the middle tower, shaking the whole castle. But where was Peach?

"Behind you," said a voice. Bowser was startled, but had no time to react as a firm, gloved hand grabbed onto his neck. It could not obviously get around his whole neck, but who it belonged to scared Bowser. Peach stood there, her dress a dark color from the ashes left from the flames. Her hair was messy and her crown sat crookedly on her head. Her eyes were fixed on him.

"You thought you could beat you easily?" she asked him He couldn't answer her. She gave him a good kick in the shin.

"You know what? Since you burnt my dress and ruined my hair, I'll have to mess you up terribly," she said, eyeing the now completely buried Bullet Bill. Bowser could see what she was looking at and was shaking.

"No! I won't be beaten by a mere princess," he yelled. She brought her free hand back behind her.

"A mere princess was what I used t be. Now, I'm your worst nightmare," she said before flattening her free hand and with all of her might, slammed her hand into his cheek. Bowser was sent backwards, his expression showing pain and the thought of impending doom. He crashed right into the Bullet Bill and as he predicted, it exploded. Peach braced herself as a huge fiery orb engulfed Bowser, burning him severely. The explosion then blasted Bowser into the air. He let out a loud cry before being sent off into the distance, disappearing with a bright flash like a star.

"Bower, defeated!" shouted the announcer lady. Peach fell to onto the floor, sitting. She did it.

"This match's winner is…Peach!" shouted the announced. Peach felt so alive. She had finally won her battle ensuring her a spot in the tournament. She let out a big sigh. The battlefield began to blur and she new it was reverting. She looked behind her towards the lake and could see a cluster of small leaves in the water before it melted away. She was back in the dome again and the small group of people that watched the match was amazed. Zelda placed a hand to her chest and looked at Link. Mewtwo had stood up from his spot and Kirby was climbing on his tail, still completely oblivious to what was happening. Roy was impressed, as was Marth.

"Wow, she's good," said Roy. Marth nodded and turned to see the princess lose her strength and faint.

**End of Chapter Three**


	4. Chapter 4 Late Visits

**Chapter Four**

**Late Visits**

"Hey, I think she's waking up," said a voice.

"Huh? Who's…there?" asked the princess. Her eyes fluttered. Her vision was blurred and she tried to move her hand to her face, but it seemed to be restrained by something. She struggled to move her arms from her sides, but they were glued to the surface she lay on. She also tried her feet, but they were in the same state. Her vision became clear again.

"Where am I?" she asked, taking a look around. She could barely see anything other then an almost fluorescent white all around her. She could feel the cold, hard surface she lay on and identified it as metal. She was completely helpless.

"She seems to be delirious," said a voice. Peach shook. There was no one around. She was alone or that was what she thought.

"The tranquilizer still as no effect," said another voice.

"What? What's going on?" she asked loudly. She began to panic and struggle. Suddenly, something had stricken her, like a force just hit her with intense power. She was helpless as she seemed to go limp and the pain still surging through her. She did not, however, scream or cry in pain. Her face was towards her left side and her eyes were wide opened. Her mouth was opened, but nothing came out.

"!"

She could see something on the wall. It was completely white like a blank canvas, but something was there. She could barely see it. Three curved slits were carved into the wall. There seemed to be no light source in the room, but the shadows were there. It looked like a face.

"W-what?" she said in her mind. They suddenly were colored in a deep red and a seemed to lift itself from the wall.

"Oh my-!" she cried. It lunged at her, a sickening laugh filling the air. She suddenly felt her arms free themselves and she sat straight up, breathing fast. She was in her room again. She scanned it quickly, trying to find anything out of the ordinary. She found nothing. Peach removed the sheets covering her and put her feet back on the floor.

"What was that dream?" she said wearily. She rubbed her eyes and tried standing up. Her legs felt weak like she hadn't stood up in weeks. There was a knock on her door.

"Princess?' asked a voice. She was startled. The door slide open slowly and small, chubby man walked in. It was Mario.

"Oh…hello," she replied. She seemed anxious and kind of sad. Mario walked towards her, fixing his trademark red hat on his head. He held something behind him.

"I-a…heard about-a your fight," he said. Peach clasps both her hands together. It was obvious they were uncomfortable near each other. It happened only two weeks ago when Mario and Peach decided to split up. They had had a romantic interest in each other, but they both knew that they were never going to go any farther than just a plutonic relationship. Mario had to tell her the truth, or they would have been in a fantasy love-life, one that doesn't exist. Besides, the rumors spreading about them needed to be settled. She looked at him.

"Yes. I beat them good," she said. She did not notice the object stirring behind Mario. He realized this and showed it to her.

"Here-a…for you; it should-a be-a familiar," he said. And it indeed was a familiar sight for the princess. It was an umbrella, yellow in color and rimmed with a frilly, blue trim. Its name was Perry, a helpful umbrella that helped her rescue Mario and Luigi from the clutches of Bowser. She couldn't see his face.

"Samus-a found it-a outside-a," he said. He placed it neatly on her bed, Perry still not moving.

'T-thank you," she said. Mario quickly left, closing the door softly behind him. Peach shook her head, took a deep breath, and exhaled. She turned to the still umbrella. She took it by the handle and noticed something. It wasn't curved like it was before. Instead, it was straight.

"Perry?" she asked. She was skeptical that this was actually Perry the umbrella. He would normally talk to her. She placed a hand on the area where his face used to be. There was nothing but soft plastic. The windows were clattering from drops of water. The princess sighed and went to close the drapes. No battles today from the sudden downpours they've been receiving recently and she has had her share of urges to just beat someone with the nearest blunt object. Meanwhile, in the Study, Master Hand was discussing something with Mewtwo.

"Well, are you sure someone's come into the mansion without my permission?" he asked. Mewtwo nodded.

"I can tell that their thoughts are there, but I cannot penetrate their mind. They must be shielding themselves from me," he replied grimly. Master Hand seemed weary.

"This really is a hassle. No one has ever tried to break into the mansion in all my years," he said. The fire crackled the hearth lightly, illuminating the dark room.

"And you say…you also sense something about the princess?"

"Yes. Before her match had begun, I could feel the presence of that person every time I looked at her. I cannot explain it."

"I don't think we should tell anyone about this…I don't want to start a panic. Even though they can take care of themselves, they won't be able to fight against something they can't even explain or even see. Tell no one, not even the princess."

"I won't. But I'd be careful if I were you. This person has done nothing as of yet, but it's likely they're after you, being the head of the mansion and such," warned Mewtwo as he faded away into the darkness. He reappeared right outside the doors to the Study and began to hover towards his own room. Lightning crashed outside in the rain. It was about time everyone had gone to their own rooms and had a good night's sleep. The lights were dimming until it became dark in the halls. Though Mewtwo could tell there were some still awake. He could hear the voices of various people in his mind. Zelda was about to go to sleep when there was a knock on her door and Jigglypuff came in to talk. Yoshi was outside grabbing his nest of eggs he kept in the sunlight in from the rain. He came towards the kitchen and noticed a hint of light in it. The sounds of someone sorting through the food in the fridge could be heard. Mewtwo switched on the light.

"!!"

The person was startled by the sudden light and hopped into the fridge, the door slamming shut. Mewtwo stood in front of it and opened it with his mind. Sitting in there next to the cheesecake, was a familiar pink blob. It was Kirby.

"You…having a midnight snack are we?" he asked. Kirby opened his eyes to see his friend. He smiled and made a cute sound before hopping out.

"Get what you want and go rest," he said, turning to leave. Kirby suddenly became frantic as if in a hurry, shut the refrigerator door, and ran after Mewtwo. He knew Kirby was coming and waited for him to catch up in the halls. Kirby did have a little fear of the dark still lingering in him. Maybe that is why he rushed into get something to eat before the lights dimmed.

"Are you going to follow me everywhere?" he asked in an irritated tone. He was pretending, but Kirby noticed this and made a sad face, looking at the ground. Mewtwo gestured for Kirby to come with him and he instantly became joyful again. Together they headed down the hallway, Kirby walking close to Mewtwo in a nervous and anxious fashion. The hallways did seem a little scary, like in a horror movie. There was no sound, except for the now roaring storm outside. Lightning made a bright flash outside the windows, but only for a split second. Kirby was very uncomfortable with the "bumps in the night" he heard as they headed towards the eastern side of the mansion; both of their rooms were there. The kitchen was more towards the eastern side, but near the center of the mansion as well. Mewtwo halted to a stop.

"?"

Kirby was confused. It looked towards Mewtwo's face and could see it was in an almost shocked expression. He too became nervous, thinking a ghost was coming.

"Kirby…get to your room, now" he said urgently. He was confused again and stood there, holding a pudgy hand to his mouth.

"Go!" said Mewtwo, only louder this time. Kirby was taken back and thought Mewtwo was mad at him. He didn't know why and became scared and his eyes began to tear. Before Mewtwo could say anything else, he was suddenly forced into the wall by an unknown force. A loud thud ran out and echoed in the halls. Kirby was frightened, but froze in place. Mewtwo fell onto the ground. He looked towards Kirby.

"I said get to your room! It's not safe!" he yelled. Kirby was startled and began to run in the opposite direction. He did not look back as he heard Mewtwo being thrown against the wall again and again. He closed his eyes and just made a beeline towards the northern section of the mansion. He rushed down the hall and turned at the corner almost crashing into the nightstand holding a vase.

"Ah!"

Mewtwo's painful cried could be heard, but everyone was in deep sleep now. The storm was not letting up as Kirby almost reached the northern dormitories, when Mewtwo suddenly appeared in front of Kirby, scaring the life out of him. He was injured, badly. His arm was cut, blood slowly slithering down his skin and onto the floor. Bruises covered his body and he struggled to stay standing. Kirby was almost in tears at the sight.

"Huh…I think they're gone…" said Mewtwo under his breathe. Kirby was shaking in fear, but mustered up the courage to take a couple steps towards his friend. Mewtwo stood there, looking at the little pink blob, his eyes full of worry for him.

"It's okay…I'll be alright. I just need to-"

Before he could finish, the familiar sound of rushing air was heard and Mewtwo was hurled through the nearby window, crashing through the glass, the shards piercing his skin. Kirby screamed. He ran to the door the furthest away from the window and began to bang on the door in a huge panic. The rain poured in from outside, blood stained the remaining glass hanging onto the window. Someone finally answered the door and Kirby shoved the door open, went inside, and slammed in closed.

"Kirby?! What's the matter?!" asked a feminine voice. Kirby, still with an expression of terror on his face, turned to look at the source of the voice. The light flickered on and the exhausted face of Princess Peach. Kirby ran over to her and jumped onto her lap, burying his face in her nightgown, sobbing uncontrollably. She was unsure of what was going on, but knew of Kirby's fear of the night. Everyone did. She petted him on the head, trying to comfort him, but the crying did not cease.

"Hey…it'll be okay now. Did something scare you?" she asked. Kirby looked up at her and pointed to the door. She looked at it and continued to pet him. She looked down at him before the sound of her bedroom door slowly opening could be heard.

**End of Chapter Four**


	5. Chapter 5 Walking in the Dark

**Chapter Five**

**Walking in the Dark**

She almost froze completely, Kirby still crying furiously in her lap. The door opened completely, the dark halls illuminated by the flashing lightning. The door made a clunk as it hit the doorstop behind it. For a moment, it was quiet. Kirby was expecting something scary to come into the room and eat him, but nothing came. Only the pounding of the rain was heard on the windowpane. She took a breath before helping herself up, gently letting Kirby onto the floor. He made a noise and clung to her dress.

"It's okay. See? There's nothing out there," she said calmly. Although she was still shaken from her door moving on its own, she didn't show it. Maybe Kirby hadn't closed the door all the way before he burst into her room.

"Don't worry. I'll take you to your room, okay?" she said, placing a head on his head. He looked up to her, tears still welling up in his eyes.

"I'll bring a candle so you can see me, alright?" she said. She had candles in her drawer just in case a storm broke out and messed with the power. Even though it was fine, Master Hand wouldn't turn on the light at a time like this. She placed it on a candle holder and searched for some matches. She simply lit the candle and it emitted a small light.

"Let's go before anyone notices," she said, turning off her lamp. The light that filled the room became dimmer as the candle's flame flickered. Kirby's grasp on her nightgown tightened as they headed out into the hall. As they came near a window, Kirby looked startled. That was the window Mewtwo was thrown out of by a mysterious force. The window itself was together, the floor clean of the shards that rained down, and there seemed to be no signs of a struggle. Kirby became fretful.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" she said. She looked in his direction out the window. She saw nothing out of the ordinary.

"Let's hurry, you shouldn't be out here so late," said Peach as they continued down the hall. Kirby was confused but had no time to think and headed down with her. They made their way to the eastern dorms with almost nothing out of place. She reached Kirby's room; a large yellow star adorned it. It was his crest.

"Here we are. Everything's fine," she said before reaching towards the doorknob. Kirby had traces of dried tears on his cheeks as he walked towards the door. The princess turned on the light so Kirby could see. It was unusually dark in his room tonight.

"There. Now, don't forget to put in your nightlight," she cautioned. She stood in the doorway, the candle melted halfway. Kirby turned to look at her before she left.

"!"

He saw something move. In the shadows, something had run down the hall behind the princess. He jumped and dived under the covers of his small, round bed and shook wildly. Peach looked vexed at Kirby's sudden fear of the dark. It was never this bad before. Sure Kirby was a little uncomfortable in the dark, but the terror he had when he broke into her room was strange. She felt the stains of salty tears on the hem of her dress. Kirby must have seen something to scare him that bad. She gently closed the door and turned to leave. She sighed.

"I wonder if I can go back to sleep now," she said aloud. The candle wax spilled on the floor. She noticed this and looked towards the candle itself; its body was about three quarters of the way down from its original size. The wax was pooling in the candle holder and the dangerously hot material was dripping on the floor.

"Oh no…I better get to the kitchen. I think there were a couple packs of candles in the top drawers," she said in her mind. She moved a strand of her from her eye and began to move again. It was in the middle of the stormy night. Though now, it's become calm and only the drizzling of rain fell on the mansion. It was eerily soothing. Peach wove through the halls and into the kitchen. The humming of the refrigerator could be heard as it rumbled softly. The light of the candle blew out.

"Ah!"

She wasn't prepared for the complete darkness that immediately enveloped her and it was too dark to see. It was in the middle of the mansion so there were no windows. The only illumination was the glow-in-the-dark clock that was placed next to the sink. It emitted a greenish light. She placed the candle holder on the table gingerly.

"That won't be enough," she whispered. Suddenly, something struck her. A noise; it was in the hallway leading to the gardens to the west. Trying to make out the outlining of furniture in the hall, she steadily made her way towards the double-doors leading outside. There, the moonlight illuminated the entrance. She first looked through the small windows of the doors, seeing nothing out of the ordinary.

"I guess I could use some fresh air," she said to herself. She pushed the door on the left and it opened. The crisp, cold air rushed into her face and she stepped outside. It was cold during these nights. The glistening grass and flowers were riddled with drops of dew. The wind came and rustles the trees. She took a deep breath and decided to walk for a few minutes.

"…"

She wore her slippers, yet they were like any old shoe. She usually never came out here at night, especially in her night gown. The chill finally got to her, but she shook it off. The princess looked over to the giant, looming shadow of the Battle Dome. Her feeling of adrenaline that day…

"…"

Though something was odd; she couldn't immediately tell. She looked towards the base and saw that the doors were open.

"Oh my," she said. Was someone out this late training? Or was there a break-in? Her curiosity got the better of her.

"Maybe if I just take a little peek," she whispered. The princess reached to doors that should have remained closed and locked by the way. She walked towards the stands where she would normally have been hadn't it been for her victory earlier. She took a seat in the middle-most row for a quick rest. The giant dome was quiet. There were no windows, there were no lights, yet the delicate and fragile princess was here, seated within the blackness. It didn't seem to strike her as terrifying as it would Kirby. She stayed quiet, knowing full well she might not be alone. It was then she could notice a small hint of light in the distance.

"What?" she said softly. She stood up slowly, looking towards the other side. That was where the announcer woman spoke. Though there was really no way to find out. The only path leading to it is through a doorway Master Hand built deep down under the seemingly infinite abyss. If they could build something down there, there had to be an end. The light began to move towards her; its shine growing larger as it came near. She watched as it halted above the void. It seemed to shake and shudder as if in a struggle. It vanished in a flash of light. Peach covered her eyes before the entire setting had become black. She looked up and saw something, floating in front of her. It seemed to lay straight down.

"Uh…" she said, before the object seemed to be pulled backward like a fallen canvas. She could see it so clearly, like it was daytime. It was a mask, a completely white mask. Then, slits appeared on it; three of them. They were neatly arranged like a person's face. She gasped. It was frighteningly familiar to her. They opened like eyes of a sleeping child; the crimson red color filled in the empty slits as they stared at her. The princess had her mouth open, trying to speak. She covered her hand with her mouth as she took a step back. It was just like her dream.

"What is this?!" she cried. The mask suddenly flipped over to its opposite side and with quick speed, flying forward and latching onto her face.

"Ah!" she cried. Her first instinct was to reach up to her face and pull the thing off with all of her strength, but a feeling went through her. It was almost…a pleasurable feeling. She felt relaxed…

"Huh…?"

She fell onto her knees and sat on her bottom. She was just entranced by the mask, but the feeling filled her with horror; the eerie chill that embraced her face, the smooth feel… Her mouth hung open as she tried to utter some words. It was dark again…

"…"

Peach suddenly felt her mouth move, but without realizing it, it twisted into a smile. She could move her hands, but just barely. They felt like they had millions of insects crawling all over them. She struggled to lift both her arms up to her face, but the feeling tried to resist. She was able to touch both sides of her head with both her hands, but that was as far as she was able to get. She then began to feel something on her skin; it felt warm…and almost moist. The sound of her heart beating was loud and echoed in her head and the amount of times it pounded on her chest within one minute was too much to count. Suddenly, the mask tightened.

"Ah!" she cried. She could feel the air between her skin and the mask's cold and hard material exit as it tightly grasped her facial features. The thin, red slits disappeared from sight and were now black. Her eyes were closed and she feared to open them. The princess felt her balance give away and she fell backwards onto her back. Her head turned to one side and she felt limp.

"What's happening to me?!" she cried in her mind. She opened her eyes, thinking that she wasn't able to. Her eyelids sprung open and she could see. But what was in front of her made her wish she had kept her eyes closed.

"!"

There in front of her was what she thought was a reflection on a mirrored surface. The position of the body, the faded pink color of the elegant dress that adorned it, and the gold object that lay broken in its hands was familiar to her; it was a crown. The delicate, white gloves were torn and had dark stains on them. The dress did as well. Her eyes lead her towards the upper half of the body where she so desperately wanted to scream. The head was a sickening, dark green and black color and the gold locks of hair were messy and seemed to be moist. She could see the hollowed eyes; oh the eyes…they were an endless void of black and the position of the head told her they were on her just as hers was on it; it was the princess herself. With the sickening sight engraved in her mind, with all her might, she gave a mighty, but desperate scream for help. The mask gave away and its mouth opened along with hers. But, she did not hear her own voice. It was mixed in with another. It was a terrible, shrill howl that pierced her ears and she could see the body only a few feet from her open its own dead mouth and let out its own similar cry. The screams came together and made a symphony of despair and desperation…

"Someone help!"

The dead body and the mask stopped. She was still yelling and shouting, but even she knew they would wall on deaf ears. Her voice echoed off of the stainless steel walls for a good five minutes. And…then the princess too fell silent.

**End of Chapter Five**


	6. Chapter 6 Signs

**Chapter Six**

**Signs**

The morning light was gleaming in through the window and escaped through the silk, rosy drapes that hung upon the window in Peach's room. Outside, the sun was glistening and could be seen through a rather small open patch of sky. The clouds had huddled together as the beginning of winter ensued. The light hit her eyes and they began to flutter open. Her hair was an absolute mess with strands sticking this way and that and the dried trails of tears were visible on her face. At the sight of her own, familiar ceiling, she lifted herself up so she was sitting. She held onto her blanket and made sure she was really in her room.

"…"

She could remember it very clearly; the pitiful crying of Kirby; the creaking of the door as it opened in the night; the chill of the night air as she headed towards the Battle Dome where her match was held; and the figure who lay dead on the ground in front of her. She put a hand on her forehead and closed her eyes for a moment. Oh…the screams…

"What a nightmare…" she whispered to herself. She examined her bed; it was as messy as her hair. The pillow she had rested her head upon was wrinkled and crumpled up as if she was grasping it tightly and her bed sheets were at the same time, on the bed and on the floor. He night gown was also wrinkled. She seemed to have been tossing and turning around in her sleep furiously. She sighed and pulled the sheets back onto her bed, fluffed up her pillow until it was smooth again, and straightened out her night gown. The light of the sun was still a bit intense even if it was only a small amount. She rubbed her eyes and went to clean herself up and change into her signature pink dress. After a refreshing splash of water and a good while of combing out loose ends, she opened her door and closed it as quietly as she could, in hopes that she would not wake anyone up. She assumed it was still early.

"Well…I guess I could go into the kitchen and help myself to breakfast," she said to herself. The hallway was empty and the quiet air made it add to her already exhausted mind. Peach wearily made her was down the halls and into the western dormitories. She saw someone also coming towards the three-way intersection of the halls; it was Marth.

"Ah, good morning, princess," he said politely. He smiled at her as he walked over to her.

"G-Good morning," she replied. It felt like her throat was closing up. She cleared her throat before speaking again.

"Are you the only one up?" she asked.

"It looks like it. Are you going to the kitchen?"

"Yes…I was."



"…Is there something wrong?" he asked. Her voice did seem to be reduced to a rather raspy whisper as if she was talking very loudly over a long period of time.

"Oh no, I'm alright."

"Would you allow me to accompany you?" he asked. He put his hand forward and smiled at her. She was a bit flustered…she had never really spoken to any princes back in the Mushroom Kingdom. A tiny bit of red could be said under her eyes. Marth did not seem to notice.

"O-Of course you can," she replied. She placed her hand on his and he grasped it. He then turned and led her down the hall leading towards the aforementioned kitchen. Peach followed him and tried to keep up. Her legs didn't seem to be listening to her and her walking was a tad awkward. Marth stopped and looked at the princess.

"You definitely are not alright. Did something happen last night?" he asked. She shook her head.

"No…it was only a nightmare," she replied. She was having just a bit of trouble keeping herself balanced. Marth chuckled and walked behind her.

"What are you-?" she began. But before she knew it, she felt him sweep her off of her feet and he carried her in his arms. Her flustered face was proof that she was not used to such treatment.

"If you are not able to walk, I might as well carry you," he said, beginning to walk down the hall. She felt her heart beat at a pace just a bit quicker than usual. Her hand was on his chest and her face became a bright red.

"Thank you," she whispered. He nodded and strolled into the kitchen. It was also empty and no one had been here already. He walked past the counter and into another room; the dining room. A miniature version of a chandelier hung on the ceiling of a long, rectangular room. The table was the same shape and was adorned with an equally long tablecloth that ran down both ends and was aligned almost perfectly down the center. It was mostly white, but had two, red, parallel stripes running a few inches from the center. It and the many chairs set around it was made of a fine, polished wood. Seven candlesticks, each hold a maximum of three, were neatly set into sections in the center of the table. They were obviously unlit and were to be used for the upcoming Christmas celebration. Marth pulled one of the chairs out towards the closer end and set the princess upon it, then pushing her seat in.

"What would you like me to prepare for you?" he asked. She was still trying to get over the fact that Marth had just swept her off of her feet and carried her all the way to the dining room. Now he was going to make her breakfast. She shook her head and was able to reply.

"A standard breakfast would be…fine. Two eggs, bacon, a slice of toast…and perhaps some sausages," she said. Marth nodded and turned to head back into the kitchen.



"Coming right up!" he said, cheerfully. Peach was definitely not used to this; Marth was going to cook her breakfast and without even hesitating. She could hear the clatter of pots and pans as Marth set them on the counter.

"He can cook?" she thought to herself. She sighed and rested her head on the table. The soft tablecloth was surprisingly comfortable. She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to get a grip on reality again. Ever since that strange moment in her room the other day all of these weird things have been happening. She tried to recall everything; first was the black thing in her mirror, then her sudden lust for battle, the dream in the white room, Kirby's phobia of the dark, and then the dream in the Battle Dome just last night. She didn't place Marth's kindness and charming disposition in that category. He was always nice to her just like he was to everyone, but she had never really noticed until now. Back then, she was usually trying to keep up with everyone in tournaments and matches…

"Two eggs, am I right?" called Marth from the kitchen. She could hear the sizzling of vegetable oil on the hot pan. She heard two, small cracking noises and the sizzling became even louder.

"Yes, that's right," she answered him. Her throat just would not work with her today. She cleared her throat again and sighed again. What was wrong with her this morning?

"Ugh, maybe I should take some medicine…" she said to herself. She turned to look down at the other end of the table and noticed something move in the doorway.

"Huh?" she said. It was too quick to make out. She stood up and quietly pushed the chair back in. Something about this made her curious and she quickly made her way to the other side. Marth was still cooking her breakfast and didn't seem to notice. She peeked down at both ends of the hall and saw nothing; it was just dark. In front of her was an old grandfather clock. Its ticking hands were the only sound she could hear aside from Marth. The hands were almost at 9:00 AM. The seconds hand reached the top, but then it suddenly did not move anymore.

"What? It stopped?" she asked herself. She walked up to the clock and tapped the glass covering of the face. In a moment, the seconds hand began to move backwards. She was shocked by the sudden movement and took a step back. Before she knew it, the hour and minute hands began to move counter-clockwise as well. At first it was slowly, but then it began to pick up speed and spiral out of control.

"W-What is this?!" she said aloud. She turned to head back into the dining room, but in place of the table and chairs was nothing. The chandelier was gone and the light of the kitchen in which Marth was had left. It was dark. She took a step back and the clock's alarm rang out, startling her. She turned to look at it and the hands were all pointing straight up at number twelve. The ticking had stopped and it was no silent. Peach began too panic and debated on which path to use to get away from this part of the mansion. She sped towards the left side and ran into the darkness.

"Oh...not again, why is this happening to me?!" she asked herself as she sped towards the corner. The next hall was on the right and she turned to head down towards the next turn which was also 

a right. She was too frightened to think and went down that way as well and she saw another right.

"Why does it feel like I'm going in a circle?" she asked in her mind. She stopped running and began to walk instead. There was a creepy feeling crawling up her spine as she looked past the inner corner to see the next hall which had also went to the right; there was the old grandfather clock and the way to the dining room. What was happening? There was a sound.

"What?"

She turned around to look down the hall she was in. It was dark and she couldn't see very well. Peach felt uncomfortable and walked back over into the dining room. The grandfather clock's hands were spinning in various directions at different speeds. When she looked into the room, a bright light met her eyes and caused her to close them and cover her face with her arms.

"Ah!" she cried. After a few moments, she decided to peek out from underneath her arms and could see through an opening; the table was back as with the chairs. The chandelier hung quietly above it and it was on, shining brightly. She could hear someone humming from a distance. She let her hands go to her sides and she walked over to where she had sat before and sat down, letting it register in her mind that it was just a daydream and a rather dark one at that. She recognized the voice as Marth's. She sighed with relief that he was still here with her. The humming stopped and the prince in his familiar blue garments stepped into the room with a plate that held her breakfast on it. The smell of eggs and sausage filled the air now and she felt her hunger gnaw at her.

"Here we are, princess! Your breakfast…is served," he said, placing the plate gently in front of her. He also set a knife on one side and a fork on the other. She smiled at him and took a big whiff.

"It smells delicious," she said. Marth smiled at her, but noticed something. There was just a hint of fear in her eyes and he could see it; her hands shook slightly and were only visible if you could keep your eyes on them. She was also breathing just a bit loud and she was poised and trying to keep calm.

"Princess…?" he asked. She turned to him.

"Yes?"

"Are you okay? You don't look well…"

"Oh no, I'm fine. Just feeling a little under the weather, but it's probably because it's early," she replied. She tried her best to sound as casual as she could. She couldn't possibly believe that he would even consider her story about the trip in the hall was true. She picked up her knife and began to cut away at the edge of the egg white. He decided to play along with her and took a seat at the end of the table. He placed both elbows on the hard, wooden surface and placed his head on the back of his hands.



"I hope my cooking isn't that terrible," he said to her, trying to lighten the mood. Peach took her fork and picked up a small slice of egg and raised it to her mouth and ate it.

"So…has anything strange happened to you as of late?" he asked her suddenly. She swallowed her food almost immediately and her eyes widened. Her heart suddenly beat faster and her body tingled. She felt nervous and she turned to him, trying to find words to say.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," she said quickly. Marth stared at her as she went back to eating her breakfast. She knew he could obviously tell that there was indeed something wrong and he was right. She was having these strange occurrences with shadows and masks…what could it all be about and why did she get them?

"Ooh, do I smell breakfast?" said a voice. Marth looked down into the direction of the other end of the table towards the grandfather clock that was ticking. Someone was walking towards them and their footsteps could be heard along with the ticking of the clock. Peach looked towards Marth's gaze and saw a familiar face come into the dining room; it was Roy. The young warrior walked on his left side and sat down in front of the princess.

"Good morning," said Marth. Peach only looked up at him and then continued to finish up her breakfast. Roy yawned.

"I woke up to Bowser's intense snoring," he complained. He did look weary and struggled to keep his eyes open and his attention on the both of them.

"Why do you keep that room next to him?" asked Marth, chuckling.

"Because everyone else had the brains to pick other rooms," said Roy, rubbing his eyes. Peach placed both her fork and knife onto the plate and placed both of her hands onto her lap. Soon, there was also the sound of giggling and some more footsteps seemingly echoing together in the halls like a low symphony of bumping, tapping, and pounding. They were headed this way.

"Ah, it should be around the time everyone gets up for breakfast," said Marth. Some of the fighters began to walk in either through the hallway or the kitchen. There was a lot of chatter in the air and it seemed to all be about the same thing. Zelda walked in with Samus and Yoshi and the Ice Climbers following.

"This is so sudden!" said Zelda, turning to look back at Samus. She took a seat next to Roy, who seemed to have dozed off. He had his head on the table with his arms around it. He breathed silently, but you could tell he was sleeping. Popo and Nana took their seats towards the center of the large table and lifted their parka hoods off of their brown, messy hair. Ness came hovering through the air and took his chair next to the Ice Climbers.

"Wow, I'm so hungry…" said Popo.



"Stop thinking about you stomach, Popo! Focus on the news!" urged Nana. Samus sat next to Zelda and they were busy talking to each other with Roy still out cold. Even for a bounty hunter, Samus still had her love of gossip along with the other girls.

"I wonder what Master Hand is thinking," said Zelda.

"I don't really know why would even do what he did," replied Samus.

"What might you be talking about?" asked a curious Peach. Zelda turned to her, removing some hair from her face.

"You didn't hear? It was on the intercom just a few minutes ago," she replied. Marth was thoughtful for a moment.

"I didn't hear anything this morning. I was here with the princess," he said.

"Okay then, here's what's happened: when I woke up this morning, there was an announcement today. Master Hand said he was going to cancel the Winter Tournament!" she explained. Marth's eyes widened and Peach let out a small gasp.

"But…why?!" asked Peach. She felt as if someone put a hole in her heart. She wouldn't get her chance to fight in the final round and something about that ticked her off and disappointed her. She began to chat about it with Zelda and Samus with Marth listening in on the details. Soon, the dining room was full of the fighters of the Smash Mansion, all with the topic of their morning conversations as Master Hand's sudden cancellation of the tournament. The room was also filled with the smell of food as each of the fighters had received their breakfast from some of the smashers who volunteered to cook today.

"I still don't understand why he went ahead and did this without our consent?"

"I really wanted to get to watch the final round…"

"Don't get so worked up, I'm sure he has his reasons."

With all of the talk and all of the noise, Peach couldn't help but feel miserable now. Marth tried to calm Jigglypuff down who was smothered in honey when Fox McCloud had tripped over one of Yoshi's stray eggs and she was ready to use her Rollout on everyone in the room. Peach sighed.

"Why did this have to happen…and only a day after I had gotten through the last match," she said to herself. She took a look around the room; there was Pichu and Pikachu who played with Yoshi; Link fought with Ganandorf over the last slice of ham; Mario and Luigi had to keep Bowser from devouring Kirby after he sucked up Bowser's food. But…there seemed to be someone missing. Where was that silent figure who had kept a watchful eye over everyone?

"Umm…Marth?" she said, turning to him. He was back from getting Jigglypuff cleaned up.

"Yes, princess?" he replied.

"I don't see Mewtwo here with us."

"Ah…now that you mention it, I don't either. Perhaps he is outside getting some fresh air?" he suggested.

"But…he's usually always here and on time, too."

"You're right. This is a bit strange for him to suddenly-"

Before he could finish, his gaze came upon the direction of the hallway with the clock and so did the rest of the fighters in the room. Peach turned to see who it was and saw Master Hand hover into the room as the entire room became silent.

**End of Chapter Six**


	7. Chapter 7 Mysteries Unsolved

**Chapter Seven**

**Mysteries Unsolved**

Whispers and various looks from the smashers were what Master Hand had expected as he took a seat at the left end of the table. Instead of sitting, he merely floated just above the seat. Those round him tried to keep focused on other things such as conversation and food and other topics, but no one could honestly say they did not want to question him right here and now. Peach was particularly anxious for someone to speak up.

"I know what you all are thinking," he said calmly. Everyone turned to look at him and listened to what he had to say.

"I know that you're upset about me canceling the Winter Tournament, but I have my reasons."

"You won't tell us?" asked Link. He stood up and waited for an answer. Zelda looked at him and hoped that he wouldn't be chewed out.

"The reasons behind it…I can't release yet. I have to be sure," he replied.

"But what-a is-a this about-a?" asked Mario. The whispers within the dining room had become louder and many of the fighters were beginning to shout at Master Hand from the other side of the room. Peach wanted to join in with the interrogation, but her mind was on something else. She was still curious as to where Mewtwo was and kept looking down into the kitchen or around where Master Hand was. Even with his silent and often intimidating disposition, he was never rude to her or ever hindered her from fighting her battles. He, along with Marth, were one of the few people here she felt she could talk to. Marth stood up, pushing his chair back along the floor.

"Even the High Command isn't entirely informed of the situation," said Marth. Master Hand sighed. The High Command was a group of seven who were sort of the watchers and judges of the things going on in the mansion. They were the ones who began tournaments, funded trips to other places, and offered help to struggling smashers. Marth was in this group as with Zelda, Samus, Mario, and Mewtwo. Even with a title higher than the average smasher, it does not mean they are stronger than any other fighter here. Mewtwo was obviously missing and this was noticed amongst the High Command. Zelda asked the question.

"Where is, if I may ask, Mewtwo? He's not here with us," she said to Master Hand. He seemed to be thoughtful for a moment, searching for words to say, but the only thing that came to mind was being honest to his fighters.

"He's…"

Before he could finish, Kirby let out a loud gasp and hopped off of his chair, leaving his pile of dishes on the table. He made his way to the other end of the dining room from his seat next to Peach and began to let out a messy mix of noises and inaudible words, but the way they sounded seemed as though he was frightened and scared. He jumped up and clung to one of Master Hand's fingers.

"What is it, Kirby?" he asked. Kirby's face was urgent and he was almost about to cry. The tears filling those big, innocent eyes were a bit too much for Master Hand to handle. He gently set Kirby back down onto the floor.

"?"

"I'll tell you," he said, trying to lift Kirby's spirits.

"So where…is he?" asked Peach. She remained seated, but was also curious.

"He's in the infirmary for now," he replied.

"What?!" she cried. Marth was also surprised as with the shocked voices of the other fighters.

"How did this happen?" asked Samus. Kirby rushed out of the room as fast as he could and tried to remember the whereabouts of the "white room".

"Kirby!" shouted Master Hand. But it was too late. He has already vanished into the hallways. Peach stood up and left through the kitchen exit.

"Wait! Princess!" cried Marth. He tried to grab her hand, but she too was quick. He chased after her and the dining room was filled with even more questions and Master Hand had no choice but to leave them unanswered. He left the room and towards the infirmary which was south of the eastern dormitories. As he headed in a different path towards it, Marth was still speeding after the princess who seemed to have been granted the speed of an animal running from a hunter.

"Princess, please wait!" he shouted after her. She didn't seem to hear him as she made a sudden turn to the right and down towards a hallway full of doors. Each one was the same as the other; the door was made of steel and a small, square section was taken out and glass was placed there as a window. Above each door was a number from one to six. Room number three's door was slightly open and she headed towards it. Marth stopped in the hall to catch his breath and decided to let her go in. She stopped in front of the door and gently pushed the door in. The smell of a hospital dominated her sense of smell and she could hear a noticeable beeping noise. Kirby was there as well, sitting on a chair next to a white bed that held a familiar face; Mewtwo.

"Oh…" she uttered. He was lying on his back and his eyes closed. Bandages were wrapped tightly around his arms and body and a few band aids could be seen on his forehead and chest. There was a monitor next to him on a nightstand that was making a noise everyone was familiar with; it was the sound of life and it was a relief to all who still heard it. Yet, it was quite slow and was low with every heartbeat. Kirby was crying as he noticed the princess enter the room.

"Kirby…would you like a handkerchief?" she offered, reaching into her pocket. He sniffled and looked down on the ground. Peach quietly walked over to him and had a seat next to his chair on another one. She moved his chubby little arms from his face and wiped away his tears. He was still so worried for his wounded friend. Marth then entered the room as well and seemed to be expressionless when he saw Mewtwo's condition.

"Do you know what happened to him?" asked the princess, looking at the prince. He took a moment to think before he answered her.

"I'm not sure myself. I was one of the few who knew besides Master Hand," he replied.

"You were the only two who knew?"

"That's what it looks like."

Hearing this, Kirby began to make more noises and tugged at Peach's arm. She turned to him, but couldn't make out anything he was trying to say. Every sound was like someone suddenly realizing something or someone trying to get a message out but couldn't. He became frustrated and began to point at Mewtwo. Peach tried to guess the words he would use if he could talk as if playing a game of charades.

"Something…with Mewtwo?" she asked. Kirby pointed to himself and Mewtwo simultaneously now. Marth joined in.

"You were both together?" he asked. Kirby nodded.

"When?"

He hopped off of his chair and searched for something, looking at each of the four walls o the room. He spotted a light switch and rushed over to it and turned it off. The lights on the ceiling dimmed, but the room was still visible due to the light coming from outside and the medical machines.

"Night time?" she asked. Kirby made affirmative sounds and nodded.

"You were together…last night, right?" said Marth. The little pink blob nodded and smiled at getting his messages out. He turned the lights back on and hopped back over to his seat.

"Well… what happened?" asked Peach. Kirby froze. It dawned on him that he would somehow have to enact what he saw last night to get them to see, but he couldn't think of anything.

"…It's hard…to explain."

All three of them were startled at the sudden voice that spoke. They looked over to Mewtwo and could see him beginning to stir. His eyelids were fluttering open as he tried to get used to the bright light. Kirby's spirits were lifted and became so excited the moment he realized his friend was waking up. He made a sound filled with relief. Mewtwo opened his eyes and saw the princess, Kirby, and Marth by his bedside.

"Are you sure you should be talking?" asked the princess.

"It is...alright. It does not hurt to speak," he replied. He looked around the room, examining the window on the door to see if anyone was outside and turned back to the three.

"What or who attacked you last night?" asked Marth.

"Hmm...even I could not discern who or what it was. Striking in the darkness when all were in dreams..."

Kirby became a little frightened and ran over to the princess, clinging to her dress. She knelt down and patted him on the head. Just mentioning anything having to do with the night sparked a sort of terror that was now engraved into Kirby's childish and innocent mind. Peach stood back up.

"Do you have any idea who would want to hurt you?" she asked. Mewtwo took in a deep, yet quiet breath and sighed.

"No one in this house would have the courage to do something like this. And I don't believe anyone would be as cowardly as to strike at me from the cover of darkness," he replied.

"This is so strange…" said the princess. Marth came and stood next to her.

"There was something you mentioned to me and it's been pestering me over and over," said Marth. Mewtwo paused for a moment before speaking again.

"Yes…it too forces me to look beyond rational solutions."

"What are you talking about?" asked the princess. Marth put a hand on her shoulder and smiled at her.

"It's nothing you should worry about."

"But…"

"Anyway, I'm sure the others are going to come here as well. Maybe you should go and talk with the others," he suggested.

"About…?"

"Your recent victory in the final elimination match. I persuaded Master Hand not to cancel them, but to delay them. He probably has told everyone in the dining hall."

As those words left his mouth, Peach could feel something spark from within her person; a sort of adrenaline was coming again and she felt anxiety and an almost relieved state of mind came over her. She nodded and turned to leave.

"Oh, Princess?" he suddenly asked. She turned around to face him.

"Please…be careful. Whatever it was that injured Mewtwo…is still somewhere here. Master Hand is doing all he can to keep everyone calm and in a right state of mind and it would be a big help if everyone resumed their normal activities."

"I will. Don't worry," she replied as she opened the door and left. Kirby stayed inside with Marth as she began to hear them conversing with each other. But before she could get out of earshot, she heard her name mentioned.

"Hmm? They're…talking about me…"

This sparked curiosity and as a princess, she could not overcome it. She quietly made her way back towards the doors and knelt down, moving her ear in front of the door and listening to their conversation.

"…I'm sure you know very well what happened to her."

From the healthy sound of voice, it was probably Marth.

"You know I have no control of anyone's actions here. How it came into the mansion, I would not know."

"Right. We'll have to keep a close eye on the princess. Something happened to her before her elimination match."

"Yes. I could sense it as well. As she braced herself for battle, I could feel an ethereal presence coming from her. It felt hostile and almost thirsty for violence."

"I won't talk to her about it until she is ready, but I hope that…all of this will come to an end."

"As do I…"

She couldn't move. Her thoughts were jumbled up while trying to let the conversation register in her mind. Something indeed happened to her, yet she could barely remember the moment. Too terrifying and supernatural were only two reasons why she tried to forget. Along with her visions and nightmares, she was convinced that a sinister presence was indeed here within the very safety of her own home. But…knowing everything that she had experienced, she concluded that it was playing with her…

"What do I do?" she asked herself in thought. She quickly brought herself up and began to walk vigorously down the hallway.

"Why didn't he tell me what he saw? I didn't see my own room until after they had cleaned everything up…"

She made a turn and headed for the sound of voices and laughter. It seems the other smashers of the house were about doing their daily activities. Master hand must've been able to lift their spirits. She had hoped with all of her soul that he let the tournament continue. She did not know why, but she wanted to join in the fight with the strongest this season…

"I'm going to win it all!" she suddenly said aloud. She passed by another grandfather clock in the hall with her speedy walk towards the living room. The glass protecting the pendulum was unnoticed, but their was something. With the light of the nearby lamp, you could not see it as it was within the light's reflection. There…a small slit could be seen as if someone literally cut open a small section in the light and glass itself. It resembled an eye…

"…"

**End of Chapter Seven**


	8. Chapter 8 Sweet and Foul

**Chapter Eight**

**Sweet and Foul**

"Phew...this is tough!" said an aching Jigglypuff. Being the only one in the kitchen at the moment, she sincerely hoped that it was stay that way. On the kitchen counter which was placed in the center of the kitchen was covered in cooking utensils, bowls, ingredients used in cooking, and a recipe book. Jigglypuff herself held a pink bowl full of a golden mix of flour, eggs, sugar, and other things. The batter itself was becoming rather bothersome to mix with her whisk and her arm was beginning to become strained.

"Don't I have a little bit to clean up?" she asked herself as she speculated the mess she left on the table. Her cheeks and head were also powdered by flour when she poured it into the bowl. Sneezing isn't the best thing to do when around flour.

"I can't wait to finish..."

She smiled. Jigglypuff was known to be one of the best chefs when it comes to preparing delicious desserts. Often saved for special occasions and as a prize for the winner of tournaments and other small engagements, she decided to make her special "Chocolate Berry Swirl Cake" which consisted of a simple chocolate cake, filled with a mix of different berry-flavored jams, blanketed with fudge and topped with white icing and various berries placed in a specific design. Everyone saved room for dessert and often times fought over getting just one slice, but Jigglypuff ensures that everyone gets their share. For now, she was focused on getting this finished to celebrate the re-opening of the Winter Tournament by Master Hand who announced it just a few moments ago. It was a relief to many smashers, especially those who struggled to reserve a place in the semi-finals. There were going to be free-for-all matches with three different people against each other, since the number was reduced to six from Mewtwo's absence.

"Ugh, I feel so dirty," she said as she looked at her hands. There was flour, butter, and more flour covering her tiny hands. She took a deep breath and sighed, placing the bowl on the counter. She hopped off the stool she stood upon and onto the ground. She headed towards the sink and jumped onto another stool in front of it. Due to her lack in height, she required someone to leave stools behind in places she knew she would have to use later on. She reached for both faucets and turning both until she assumed it would be warm water. She began to wash her hands and face.

"What are you doing?" asked a voice from behind. She was startled and immediately turned around on instinct, splashing water from her face and hands onto the furry face of Fox McCloud, who closed his eyes when the water made contact.

"Whoa...you scared me there," said Jigglypuff. Fox wiped the drops of water off of his face and looked at her with a face.

"I already took a shower you know."

"Sorry," said Jigglypuff. She quickly hopped from this stool to the one she used previously and she examined the mess on the counter, trying to figure out where she tossed everything. Fox saw this and raised his brow.

"Whoa, what are you making?" he asked. Slowly, Jigglypuff turned around and when she faced him, she had a demonic expression on her face and it struck terror into Fox, who stumbled back. He had almost nearly forgotten that all of Jigglypuff's recipes were strictly for her eyes only and she forbade _anyone_ from learning of the ingredients in her creations. She believes some of the smashers plan on stealing her recipe book and guards it with a murderously protective mind. She continued to glare at him.

"Do you _want_ to know?" she asked darkly. He laughed nervously and held up both of his hands in front of him to keep her from lunging at him and mauling him with whatever she could find underneath that mess.

"N-No! I was just-!"

"Just what; asking me to share my recipe with you?"

"W-Wait!"

Just before Jigglypuff could strike at him, she noticed rather loud footsteps coming through the kitchen. The sound of heels hitting against the floor could be heard. The both of them turned around towards the hallway entrance to see a distraught princess Peach walk into the dining room next door. She immediately pulled out a chair and sat down, placing her elbows on the table and holding up her head. She took a deep breath and sighed. Jigglypuff and Fox peeked at her from behind the doorway.

"Uh...Princess? You okay?" asked Fox.

"What's the matter? Did something happen?" asked Jigglypuff. Peach lifted her head and turned around to see the both of them.

"Oh! I...didn't notice you two in the kitchen," she said, trying to sound normal. She got up out of her seat and gently pushed in back into place. She walked into the kitchen where Jigglypuff hopped back onto her stool and began to vigorously mix the batter again with the whisk. It didn't seem to get any harder than it was before she stopped for a small break. Fox tried not to get onto Jigglypuff's bad side again and stood by the doorway leading into the hall.

"Well, I better go. Falco, Link, and I scheduled a little meeting and then we're going to spar at the Battle Dome. I'll see you two some other time," said Fox, who turned to leave. Jigglypuff raised an eyebrow before returning to mixing her batter.

"So, what's really wrong with you?" she asked. The princess looked at her.

"Nothing really...I guess I haven't felt like myself lately," she replied.

"Just be glad that you're still able to fight in the Winter Tournament. I missed my chance."

"I know. You threw a tantrum!" said the princess, giggling. The furious rage of Jigglypuff was also a rather infamous quality of the pink Pokemon.

"Well, now that you're feeling a bit better, how about helping me with this?" asked Jigglypuff. Peach nodded and found herself to be smiling. It felt like years since she last smiled in the presence of others. Lately, she has been feeling worse since the Winter Tournament was finished with it's first rounds of fighting, then canceled, then postponed. Now it was being scheduled for a later date, but she was still feeling so lethargic.

"What did you need?" she asked.

"Hmm...could you get me some cake frosting, strawberries, and blackberries? Don't eat any cause I'll know," said Jigglypuff. Peach turned to her left and went to the refrigerator. As Jigglypuff continued to struggle against the toughness of the mix, Peach opened it to find that it was empty.

"Huh...?"

It was bare. Nothing was inside it; no signs of food, no condiments, no beverages, nothing. The interior of the refrigerator looked rather old and decrepit; at the corners, signs of rust were seen like dried tears on someone's face. The sound of the machine running was on and off and was at a very low level. She was about to turn around and ask Jigglypuff about this predicament when something caught her eye; something dark was in the left drawer at the bottom of the fridge. She knelt down and examined it first. She couldn't see what it was due to the rather bleak light that illuminated the refrigerator. She looked closely and saw that there were light rust stains on the corners and walls. The sound made by the machine was rather low and sounded like it need repair. This was strange.

"What's in here?" she asked herself as she placed a hand on the handle. She tried to pull gently, so it wouldn't make a loud noise when it was pulled out.

She tried again just a bit harder this time and failed once again.

"What could be in here?" she asked herself. She could Jigglypuff humming again as she tried a third time. With a little more strength added to her hand, she managed to finally pull out the drawer with a loud sound. She almost lost her balance and fell backwards, but managed to stay in place. She leaned forward slowly to see what was within.

"…?!"

She wasn't prepared or what she saw. Tainted water stained the inside and a horrible stench came along with it that immediately rose into the air. It smelled of rotting flesh and other rather hideous things the princess could think of. Resting in the drawer was a large, round object; it was covered in strange, black and blue-colored threads of an unknown fabric and was tangled. It was also stained from the dark water that surrounded it and made a small puddle. On closer inspection, Peach felt her curiosity for it rise even though she was telling herself to close it back up and just leave. But once again, she found herself reaching out to an unknown object. With a delicate, silky, white glove protecting her hand, she slowly let her hand move on its own. She almost let a finger onto the object when it suddenly moved on its own, rolling down towards her.

"!"

The object seemed to have been on its back, but now it was fully visible; the empty, round sockets where eyes should have been; a gaping jaw that held crooked, decaying teeth and traces of flesh all over it. Trying so hard not to scream, Peach placed a hand over her mouth and began to back away, falling onto her bottom. The sound of the machine turning on full blast was heard and the oozing, black water that was covering the lower-left drawer suddenly began to fill it; the sickening appearance made her skin crawl. It filled and filled until it began to spill out from the drawer itself and onto the floor. But, instead of standing up and running into the next room, Peach found herself with a feeling; an emotion well up inside of her.

"…"

The humming of Jigglypuff seemed to have disappeared and she could only hear the sound of her own heart beating. She felt a great weight lift off of her mind and her once shocked expression became relaxed. There was something odd...a presence that made her feel safe...

"Huh?" said Jigglypuff as she turned to look at Peach, who was crawling on her knees back towards the refrigerator. Her eyes looked like they were glued on something and she received a strange chill that climbed up the back of her head. She placed her bowl of softened batter on the table and hopped off of the stool, landing on her feet. She cautiously and carefully tip-toed her way towards the princess and stood just inches from her person, still wondering if there was something wrong.

"P-Peach?" she asked. The princess ignored Jigglypuff and slid her hand into the now-filled drawer, feeling for the rotting head. Jigglypuff placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her gently.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Peach suddenly snapped back into reality and her eyes immediately looked to where her outstretched hand was; it had gotten a hold of a large head of cabbage. The refrigerator was filled to the brim with food that would last for months. The sound of a healthy flow was heard through the humming of the machine. The walls were clean and smooth and Peach was having a small headache.

"What?"

"I asked if you were okay. I don't think I'd add cabbage to my cake if I wanted it to taste good," said Jigglypuff with sarcasm. Peach frowned and promptly closed the drawer. She had a little red in her cheeks from embarrassment, but decided to shake it off and obtained the requested ingredients for Jigglypuff. With one final worried look from Jigglypuff, she walked back over to her stool and continued to stir the batter, which once again, became stiff.

"Maybe you should go to your room and take a nap. You don't look so well," said Jigglypuff. Peach rubbed the side of her head, feeling the small headache gnaw at her brain. She nodded without a reply and turned to leave. She had felt an eerie chill crawl up her spine when she took one last look at the fridge. There was something she just couldn't remember; it was on the tip of her tongue but she seemed to have swallowed it. Without another thought on the matter, Peach quickly stepped out of the kitchen and into the hallway, hoping that something horrible wasn't going to happen to her. But now, when she tried to recall the memories of nightmares and strange encounters, she couldn't remember any one of them vividly. Maybe it was just a mechanism she had against all extraordinary things.

"...Why...?" she asked herself. With futile attempts to change her mind's topic to another subject, she made her way back towards her room. Feeling her strength begin to slip away, she slowed herself down to a walking pace. Having found her way towards the familiar hallway with the door at the end that held the emblem of a crown, she entered her chambers and shut the door.

"…"

She took a moment and examined her room; a pink and magenta bed neatly made since this morning's episode; the same colored drapes that hung from the windows that let in just enough light to fully brighten the room; a desk that held pictures, documents, and other duties still given to her as a princess; and a large, revolving mirror next to her bed. All of it seemed strange to her, like it wasn't her room. She sighed.

"I want to know more, yet I wish to avoid getting closer…" she said to herself. She stood in front of her mirror just like any other day and inspected her person; wary of dust or dirt on her dress; neat and clean hair; but only one thing made her feel worse and it was her face. There was no longer a radiant glow about her that showed everyone that she was content and happy. With eyes that show lack of sleep and a frown that was self-explanatory, she looked almost miserable. She sighed once again.

"I should take a nap…maybe I'll feel better," she mumbled and she pulled off her shoes and crawled onto her bed. She carelessly pulled the sheets out of their neat placement and covered herself as best as she could, including her head. In a matter of minutes, she was sound asleep.

**End of Chapter Eight**


	9. Chapter 9 Girl Talk

**Chapter Nine**

**Girl Talk**

"So she just freaked and ran off?" asked Samus. The bounty hunter stood within the kitchen along with a very small gathering of the women of the mansion. Jigglypuff nodded.

"Yeah. She seemed really frightened by something, but I didn't see anything."

"Any of the boys pulling pranks?" asked Zelda. She crossed both of her arms, looking worried.

"Oh no, I don't think anyone would want to do something like that to her," replied the pink Pokemon. Samus raised her left arm which was the cannon on her Power Suit.

"If that's the case then someone's gonna lose their head."

"Well, do you think we should go see her?" asked the Hyrulian princess.

"I think that would be the best thing to do now..." said Jigglypuff. After their short conversation on their good friend, Peach, they each headed out of the kitchen and towards the dormitories. Most of the others were either in their own rooms or outside practicing with one another in the field of battle. When they had reached her door, they spotted Roy, pacing back and forth there. He seemed to be waiting for something, but was becoming impatient.

"Roy?" asked Zelda.

"Huh?" he said, raising his head. He saw the three and stood straight up.

"Ah, hey."

"What are you doing?" asked a suspicious Samus. Even though you couldn't see past her visor, she was leering at him.

"Marth told me to wait here. He was coming back in a minute or two. Said he had to go see Master Hand on something, but I don't know," he replied. He was standing outside of Peach's door; the familiar crest of a yellow crown on a circular pink background with a spot or two of red and blue as jewels on the design.

"Well, we just wanted to go and see how Peach is doing," said Jigglypuff.

"Oh yeah! Marth said he was going to talk to the Princess as well. I guess I should just-"

Before he could finish, Samus raised a hand to his face, halting him from speaking.

"Just wait out here for Marth," said the bounty hunter. Roy flinched, confused.



"This is girl talk, so don't try to eavesdrop," said Zelda, laughing. She and the other two walked up to Peach's door and she gently knocked upon her door. Roy stood behind them. There was no answer.

"Peach?" asked Zelda. Sounds of a person moving could be heard along with a yawn.

"Who is it?" asked a feminine voice. It was Peach. She seemed to have been sleeping.

"It's Zelda. Jigglypuff and Samus are here as well. We would like to speak to you."

"Just...a minute..." said the princess with a weary tone. The princess rolled out of bed and made her way over to her door, rubbing her eyes. She turned her doorknob and outside stood the three other females in the mansion. She moved out of the way to allow them to enter and she closed her door without even seeing Roy standing right outside. Zelda went and sat down on Peach's messy bed. Samus stood by the window and Jigglypuff hopped onto a chair. Peach effortless walked back to her bedside and let herself fall onto her bed with a weary moan.

"Still tired?" asked Zelda. Peach gave a muffled affirmative answer.

"We were just wondering what was going on with you," said Samus. Peach lifted her head.

"I'm okay...I just need some sleep."

Jigglypuff went right out with what was on her mind.

"Peach. What happened in the kitchen?" she asked. Peach suddenly froze and then buried her head in her bed sheets.

"...Nothing."

"You can't say it was nothing when I tried to talk to you. It was like you were in a trance or something."

"...I don't know."

"Oh yes," said Zelda suddenly. She stood up and turned to the princess.

"Marth said that he was coming her soon. Roy was standing outside waiting for him."

"Oh..."

And right on cue, a knock on the door was heard. A voice was also heard.

"Hello? Princess? May I come in?"

"Y-Yes," replied the princess. She yawned once again.



The doorknob turned and the door slid open with Marth and Roy behind it. They allowed themselves to come in and stood in front of the ladies. Zelda and Samus seemed wary, but Jigglypuff and Peach were okay with their presence. Marth bowed respectfully to them.

"I apologize for intruding, but we do have an important matter to attend to," said Marth. Peach nodded. Zelda glanced at Roy.

"So, what is it we're going to discuss?" she asked.

"It was a private matter, but I don't think I can ask you three to leave now, can I?" laughed Marth. Peach smiled to herself, knowing how good her friends were here. Once they were together, there really was no way to tear them apart unless they chose to leave. Samus turned to Marth.

"It doesn't matter how secret this has to be. All we need it to know is what's going on. We'd like to be as informed as you," she said sternly. Marth was the most trusted person in this mansion, but so that no one else knew any good or bad news first. It was usually announced over the PTA system or personally by Master Hand. Marth chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head.

"Well, you know. Not all of us can stay calm about something like this. Anyway, I believe I should start us off," he replied. Everyone opened their ears and kept quiet as Marth began to speak.

"As you know, there are some strange things occuring, such as Mewtwo's hospitalization and the cancellation of the Winter Tournament. There's specific reasons for those events and they are…rather hard to explain."

"What do you mean?" asked Zelda.

"Mewtwo was attacked last night by an unseen force. He himself told me and I also had some witness accounts from Kirby, but…he doesn't know how to properly speak yet, so it is difficult to get a straight story from him," he replied. He glanced at their faces.

"Master Hand says that he detects a presence in the mansion, but it doesn't seem to rise out from hiding very often…but we believe it has something to do with the princess, Peach," he said, looking at her. Zelda placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Is that why you've been acting strangely over the past few days?" she asked. Peach nodded.

"Yes…I'm sorry for not telling you. For some reason I just…couldn't find a way to bring it up," she replied sadly.

"It's alright, but…we wish you would've said something. Maybe we could've helped."

"Yeah, you don't and shouldn't go it alone," said Samus. Roy was curious was something.



"If you don't mind telling us, Marth…what is happening to her exactly?" he asked. Peach spoke before Marth could.

"I think I should explain…I'm the one who's experiencing them first-hand."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Peach began her explanation.

"From the day where the elimination matches took place, which of course, I lost in…the strangest things have been been happening to me. Voices, nightmares…it all keeps happening. Sometimes, it feels so real that I became so terrified when I wake up. It must've happened that day when I went back to my room…"

She paused for a moment and glanced around her room at this moment.

"…"

"Don't worry, princess. We're here now and nothing can get to you," assured Marth, smiling brightly. She smiled back at him, but it didn't last very long.

"When I came back here…I was just…so upset. I cried over my weaknesses and was just a little hysterical. I heard something out of the ordinary…I was on my bed, but I could hear a strange sound. I looked around the room and my sight was on the mirror," she said, pointing to it. It no longer had a reflective surface since the glass was cleaned up. It wasn't replaced yet.

"Something…was there. I checked it, but nothing seemed any different about it. I turned to leave and someone grabs my shoulder. I turned around and it was…me."

Jigglypuff was using a pillow as a sort of shield. She apparently was a little creeped out by the story. Roy also seemed rather frightened and his fear was shown through him biting his nails. Marth chuckled at the sight.

"It just…enveloped me. I just saw darkness everywhere and I collapsed. Marth was worried about how I was before I returned to my room so he came back and found me. I'm glad he did…I don't know what I would do."

Zelda looked thoughtful for a moment before she spoke.

"So this…entity came from the mirror in your room? How odd…I've heard of spiritual beings using simple objects as a place to live, but in the same place as another living person?" she asked.

"You seem to know a bit about spirits," said Roy. She nodded at him.

"I know many things…even things I wouldn't dare ask another living being."

Roy was taken back by the reply.



"I-I'm sorry…I didn't mean it to sound that way," he said apologetically. Zelda shook her head.

"No, it's okay. I'm glad I can use it to help a friend," she replied. Marth laughed.

"Yes, we'll need all the help we can with this once. Unfortunately…we have no knowledge on how to deal with this problem…I'm sorry, princess," said Marth sadly. He bowed his head, but Peach was embarrassed.

"M-Marth! I-It's okay! Really! You don't have to get rid of the problem right now, do you?" she said suddenly. Marth looked confused.

"You…don't want us to help you?" he asked.

"Ahh…?"

Peach thought about what she just said and it occurred to her…that that was what she was saying. But why would she say such a thing? How could anyone want this horrible torture? Then why did she say that? It shocked her, really.

"W-What am I saying…?"

"Maybe you're still a bit tired," said Samus.

"Y-Yeah…it's probably the fatigue," said Jigglypuff. She placed the pillow back neatly onto Peach's bed. Roy also snapped out of his state of fear.

"We should probably let you rest for a bit. Is that okay?" said Zelda. Peach nodded.

"I think I could use a bit more sleep…thank you."

"Alright. Come now, let's go," said Samus.

"Remember, not everyone knows about this and we should keep it that way," admonished Marth. Everyone nodded. Roy left the room along with Samus and Jigglypuff. Zelda exitted and then Marth as well, but he turned back to the princess.

"Rest well."

"…Thank you, Marth."

When he turned to leave, he forgot to close the door. He turned around to reach for the doorknob, but it suddenly slammed shut on its own without his or Peach's doing.

**End of Chapter Nine**


	10. Chapter 10 Punishment

**Chapter Ten**

**Punishment**

"Princess!" cried Marth. He tried to open the door through the doorknob, but it was jammed. He bashed on the door with his shoulder. Roy also helped Marth with trying to knock down the door, but they were unsuccessful. Samus began to charge her laser.

"I'd move if I were you!" she yelled. Marth and Roy both turned around and saw that she was almost completely at full power and dived out of the way.

"Aah!" cried Roy. Samus fired his charged laser at Peach's door and it shattered almost instantly from the strength of the attack. The chips of wood bounced around on the ground and the door itself was blown off its hinges. Marth dashed inside as well as Roy and Jigglypuff. Zelda and Samus followed them after. When they were back inside Peach's room, she was gone…

"Oh no…!" said Zelda. She ran up to Peach's bed and looked around the room. The two warriors and Samus were especially cautious. Jigglypuff darted to where Zelda was.

"Where could she have gone?" asked Roy. Before anyone could answer that question, something moved. A figure dove down and slammed their feet right onto Samus' helmet, catching her off guard and causing her to go down.

"Augh!" she cried. Marth saw the flash of pink and yellow and knew who it was; it was Peach herself. Jigglypuff cried out.

"Peach! What are you doing?!" she asked. The princess turned her head around to look at Jigglypuff. Her eyes were empty and her expression showing pleasure for having caused Samus pain. Marth took a step back.

"P-Princess?!"

She turned to Marth and stared at him. His breathing became slightly faster and his hand reached for the hilt of his sword. She reacted accordingly by lunging at him with a Peach Bomber attack which on impact, caused a small, fiery explosion. Marth was blown back into Peach's dresser at such force that its support was broken, causing it to collapse.

"Agh!" he cried. Roy raised his sword at Peach.

"S-Stop! What's gotten into you?!" he asked. Zelda held her hand back, which sparkled with magical energy.

"We have to stop her! Something's…gotten a hold of her mind!" she shouted to Roy. Roy nodded and ran back to help Marth up. He seemed pretty battered already, but he could stand.

"You okay?" he asked the prince. Marth nodded and rubbed the back of his head.

"Y-Yeah," he replied. They both turn towards Peach who stood at the doorway. Samus got up and stood a few feet from Peach as did Marth and Roy.

"H-Hey! What's the big idea?!" said Samus. She raised her arm cannon up at the princess, who looked back at her. The bounty hunter's arm shook slightly.

"…"

Samus had never felt so scared. She was aiming her cannon at one of her close friends…but why? Why was this happening?

"Samus!" shouted Jigglypuff. She snapped out of it, but it was too late. Peach dove at her, her crown in her hand. She raised it over her head as she reached Samus…and slammed it right into her visor. A loud crack was heard and small shards of glass fell onto the ground. Samus cried out.

"Aah!!"

Her visor acted accordingly, by malfunctioning, ultimately blinding the bounty hunter who struggled to see. Samus readied her cannon and she began to fire missles wildly. Missle after missle flew into various parts of the room. Explosions caused many of the princess' items and furniture to break and become covered in soot. Zelda reflected as many missles as she could with her Nayru's Love spell which formed a large, blue crystal around the sorceress.

"Samus! Stop!" she shouted. Zelda sent a glowing ball of fire towards Samus and set it off at her arm. With a flash of fire, the cannon was rendered useless. Samus was shocked.

"!"

Samus was now helpless. Her Power Suit began to malfunction somewhat as she couldn't move.

"Ah…no…" she uttered. She couldn't see what was happening…and she could not escape. It was as if hiding from something you feared most, but knowing that it was right on the otherside. Peach smiled at this. Roy dove at Peach with his sword raised.

"Yaah!" he yelled. The princess knew and she held a hand out towards her collapsed bed and something was summoned to her hand; it was Perry, her parasol. She took it with both hands and blocked Roy's attack with the body of the parasol.

"!"

Peach's expression became dark and she smiled, showing her teeth. Suddenly, the lower half of the parasol was pulled off by Peach's hand and it revealed a blade underneath. Roy's eyes widened.

"Oh sh-!"

The princess' motions were swift. It was unlike anything she seemed capable of doing. After all…she was a kind and generous princess. At least…that was what was known before this. Roy couldn't move. His eyes were wide and he shook slightly. He slowly and painfully lowered his head…to look down at his chest. There, a small section of the blade could be seen outside as the rest pierced through his chest plate and into his body. Marth was stricken.

"R-Roy…!" he said aloud. The princess watched the young man's face as he was filled with terror. A red liquid dripped from the blade and stained Roy's clothes. Peach lifted her leg and placed her foot on Roy's chest.

"…"

With all her might, she kicked him back down onto the ground, pulling the blade out and leaving the young swordsman on the ground, clutching his wound. Marth rushed to Roy's side while Peach walked away casually, sheathing the blade and holding the parasol over her as if she was out for a walk in the moon light. Marth was frantic.

"Roy! Roy…please, say something," he asked. Roy looked over at him.

"Marth…I…!" he replied. He had trouble speaking. The pain was great and his hand was drenched in his own blood. Jigglypuff covered her mouth with both of her hands as her big, round eyes began to well up with tears.

"Roy…!" said Zelda in horror.

"_It is his own fault_," said Peach suddenly. Her voice was different…besides the fact that it was extremely hostile and a bit raspy. Zelda could feel it…she could sense it; the other presence was detected!

"_It is also her fault_," she said, turning around to face all of them. Her expression was grim, as if someone had done her a very serious wrong. She continued to speak.

"_Your plans to try to exorcise me are futile…as well as hurtful_," she said, frowning even more. She glanced at all of their faces. Roy's gasps for air could be heard. They were too painful…for Marth and Zelda to hear. They knew nothing could help him…that wound was…

"_This is your punishment as well as her's. Know this and know it well: it is my duty to ensure this girl's victory at any cost. Do not defy her wishes_," she said darkly. Zelda took a step forward.

"W-Who are you?!" she demanded. Peach chuckled.

"_There is no need for you to know_," she answered. Marth drew his blade. He was breathing heavily.

"You…" he said. Peach turned to him.

"?"

"You will pay for this…all of this! This-This torment…! On her! On him! On everyone! I swear to you…" he said angrily. He held his blade up at the princess. He knew he couldn't do anything. It was her, the princess who he so dearly cherished. The one who he could take into his arms and make her feel safe…but now…

"…"

The princess stared at him, no mercy or hesitation could be seen from her malevolent gaze. But before anyone could do anything, a familiar sound could be heard; it wasn't just a sound…it was a voice. Something latched onto Peach's back. She was off guard for that single moment!

"_What?!"_ she cried. She was suddenly dragged backwards, out of the front door of the room and into the mouth of a familiar green dinosaur; it was Yoshi. Zelda gasped and Marth was shocked. Jigglypuff fell back and fainted from the tension of the room before.

"Y-Yoshi?" asked Zelda. Yoshi's mouth was enlarged from having a person in it and there were signs of struggle, but nothing could escape. He swallowed the princess and the parasol and his body became huge as if he had just had a delicious feast.

"…"

In a moment, he layed an egg. It fell onto the ground, landing without a sound and without breaking, but it did not shake as it did in battle; outside of battle, swallowed targets would stay in an egg until broken by an outside force. It was in battle that this was limited to only a few seconds. This was the one time Yoshi would ever use this ability on a friend…especially one as close to him and the others as Peach. Marth sheathed his sword.

"Thank you, Yoshi…we're grateful," he said quickly. He wouldn't have been able to do anything without hurting her physically. Zelda knelt down to check on Roy.

"He may still make it. We have to get him to the infirmary now!" she shouted. Yoshi dashed into the room. Marth held Roy up by his arms and Zelda, his feet. Together, they placed Roy onto Yoshi's back who immediately sped towards the Infirmary. Marth was relieved as well as Zelda. He walked over to Samus who had lost her ability to talk when her helmet malfunctioned.

"Come on…let's get you there as well," he said, helping her stand. Zelda held up Jigglypuff who was sound asleep.

"...I felt it," said Zelda suddenly. She looked upon the broken glass of the windows, the charred wallpaper on the ceiling and walled and also the shattered furniture which lay all across the ground. It reminded her of a silent battlefield where war had swept. Marth looked at her.

"What did you feel?" he asked. She turned to him.

"The person who was there. It wasn't the princess…or at least, it wasn't just her. She was herself…but someone was there behind her actions. When she began to spoke to us, I sensed it. No other times could I," she answered. Marth began to walk out of the door.

"…Why is this happening to her?" he asked. Zelda followed.

"To her…? Why the princess?!" he cried. Zelda knew she couldn't answer that question…she knew how he felt. He was angry…angry at the fact that someone was using her. She was being used against her friends when they tried to help her. Marth was not usually like this.

"All we can do now is tend to the wounded…and we'll discuss this when we organize ourselves," said Hyrulian princess. Marth stopped and turned back to look at her. She stopped and held back a gasp.

"Yes…you're right. I can't lose myself. Not yet. Let's hurry," he said to her, turning and continuing to walk. She let out a sigh of relief, hoping not to have enraged him any further than he already was. She turned to look back at the princess' room, destroyed and in ruin one last time before she followed him again.

**End of Chapter Ten**


	11. Chapter 11 Confinement

**Chapter Eleven**

**Confinement**

"Hey, I think she's waking up," said a voice.

"Huh? Who's…there?" asked the princess. Her eyes fluttered. Her vision was blurred and she tried to move her hand to her face, but it seemed to be restrained by something. She felt her heart race as she breathed heavily. She struggled to move her arms from her sides, but they were glued to the surface she lay on. She also tried her feet, but they were in the same state. Her vision became clear again.

"Where am I?" she asked, taking a look around. She could barely see anything other then an almost fluorescent white all around her. She could feel the cold, hard surface she lay on and identified it as metal. She was completely helpless.

"She seems to be delirious," said a voice. Peach shook. There was no one around. She was alone or that was what she thought.

"The tranquilizer still as no effect," said another voice.

"What? What's going on?" she asked loudly. She began to panic and struggle. Suddenly, something had stricken her, like a force just hit her with intense power. She was helpless as she seemed to go limp and the pain still surging through her. She did not, however, scream or cry in pain. Her face was towards her left side and her eyes were wide opened. Her mouth was opened, but nothing came out.

"Aah!!" she cried. A man nearby turned away.

"Do you have to be so rough with her?" he asked. Peach could only see a blur of an elegant blue color. A woman replied to his question.

"Unfortunately...yes. You saw how she was back in her room, didn't you? She was in a fit of rage...we need to be sure the sedative works," said the woman. Suddenly, the sound of doors slamming against a wall rang out.

"Marth! Zelda!" cried a voice. It sounded young and boyish. The princess gave up on trying to see with her eyes and decided to listen with her ears. She was still twitching and shuddering slightly from the pain she felt earlier. Marth was the first to respond.

"Ness? What is it? You look exhausted," said the prince. Ness stopped for a moment to catch his breath.

"Samus' Power Suit is...no longer functional. But we can't get her out of that thing! If we don't do something, she'll suffocate in there!" cried the boy. Zelda let out a gasp and placed a hand on Marth's shoulder.

"We have to find Mario and Luigi. They might have some experience in mechanics. Let's go."

"But...what about her?" asked Marth. Zelda shook her head.

"She's being sedated. I doubt she'll be able to wake up for a couple more hours."

"Right..." replied Marth. He looked down towards Peach, who was actually still awake. She didn't move however, as her entire body felt numb. The two left with Ness, leaving the immobile princess in one of the rooms of the Hospital Wing. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't...what on earth is going on? She couldn't remember anything other than that Samus, Zelda, Jigglypuff, Roy, and Marth had come to visit her in her room...but nothing more. She struggled to get some feeling back into her body, but nothing would work. She had no choice but to...sit through this horrid state. Meanwhile, Marth and Zelda were searching together around the mansion for the Mario Brothers. Ness had to stay back along with Yoshi in another room that held a traumatized Samus.

"Where do you think those two could be?" asked Zelda. They both were standing just outside the Hospital Wing. Marth thought to himself for a moment.

"I'm not sure exactly...I don't see Luigi very often and Mario doesn't seem very outgoing nowadays. I'll try his room. Could you look outside?" said Marth. Zelda nodded.

"Yes. If I find one of them, I'll send them down here immediately," replied the princess. She sped off towards the Gardens while Marth walked down the hallway. At the same time, Peach was silent in her room. The sound of machines whirring and a monitor beeping could be heard. She was like this for a couple minutes until she heard the door open. Her head was fixed so that it was staring straight at the ceiling. She heard two people talking quietly as they entered. One of them sighed.

"I wish...they weren't so rough with her," said Jigglypuff. Young Link had accompanied Jigglypuff down to Peach's room in the Hospital Wing with a tray of treats. Muffins, chocolates, and more were some of them. However, Jigglypuff became disappointed when she realized that the princess was strapped down and sedated once again. Young Link patted her on the head lightly.

"Hey, don't be so down. I'm sure she'll love to have your cooking again after this," he said, trying to cheer her up. Jigglypuff sighed.

"Yes...I hope so. I didn't know they had to go to such a great length to keep her restrained...like a wild animal." The Balloon Pokemon set the tray on a table nearby and walked over to the princess' bedside. Young Link did as well.

"Heya, Peach. I hope you're okay. You really gave us a good scare back there...really good," said Jigglypuff. She turned to Young Link to talk to him, but spotted him reaching for one of the treats. She puffed up her body and let out a hostile noise which frightened him, causing him to fall on his behind.

"Hey!...I just wanted one..." he said sadly. Jigglypuff deflated to her normal demeanor.

"No! I'm going to save those for when Peach gets better. Don't touch 'em," threatened the pink Pokemon. She sighed. Suddenly, the door opened and Captain Falcon made his way in, holding a head over his stomach.

"Aww...I gotta stay here and watch the princess on an empty stomach..." he said, groaning slightly. He noticed Jigglypuff and Young Link were in the room and waved at them, trying to be enthusiastic and nice at the same time.

"Oh, hey..."

"Why are you here, Captain?" asked Young Link. He fixed the green hat on his head and stood up, dusting himself off.

"Master Hand came up to me in person and asked me to come here and watch her in case anything bad happens...but..."

"But?" asked Jigglypuff. Captain Falcon made a face.

"I didn't eat anything since breakfast...and I'm hungry...now..." he replied slowly. Jigglypuff was thoughtful for a moment before she spoke.

"Hey...I have to go the kitchen right now anyway. I have to stash these snacks from greedy children...like him," she said, pointing Young Link, who frowned. Captain Falcon took a whiff and smelled delicious sweets filling the room. His stomach began to growl.

"Aah...! I can't wait any longer! I'm having a pit stop down by the kitchen..." he declared. Jigglypuff laughed at him.

"Alright...I guess it wouldn't hurt to whip something up for the both of you. Young Link's gonna have to stay here and watch Peach, though. Just for a while. I'll send the Captain right back," said Jigglypuff who went to pick up the tray of delicious sweets. Captain Falcon opened the door for her and they both left, leaving the door to close silently behind them on the way out. Young Link sighed, feeling left out on the fun.

"Man...she sure is scary..." he said to himself. He sat on a chair towards the wall opposite to where the princess lay. He seemed bored and examined her.

"But seriously...this is even scarier. They have her arms and legs strapped to the table...she can't move...what did you do, Peach?" he asked. He noticed movement on the other side and it startled him.

"...P-Peach?" he said aloud. He saw that one of her fingers at twitched. Maybe she was getting the feeling back in her body again. But in fact, the princess was still awake...

"Oh...man, you startled me. Can you hear me?" he asked. Peach was struggling to restore movement back into her hand to try to communicate with him somehow. Young Link was careful at first...but then decided that she was awake and wanted to talk to her.

"While Jiggly and the Captain are out making some lunch...I guess I could talk to you. You missed out on some things while you were asleep...I guess that's because Marth has to keep you subdued until we can be sure you're your normal self again..." He scratched the back of his head and Peach was sure to listen attentively as that was the only thing she could do at the moment. He leaned back a bit on his chair and sighed.

"Why is all this weird stuff happening to the mansion? Everything's going wrong. First the Winter Tournament was canceled for who knows why...then Mewtwo gets himself into the Infirmary with bad injuries from some unknown intruder! No one is allowed to go anywhere alone now...even though Fox and Falco are on the search, they can't seem to find any trace of him." He paused before speaking again.

"And...here you are, lying in bed because, according to Marth...you attacked him and the others in your room. Samus seems pretty battered...and...Roy is dead..." Peach's eyes went wide when she heard that. Roy...died? But how...?

"And recently, I haven't seen Master Hand around very often...that's why the Captain was surprised to see him ask him to come here. It's all way too weird..." Young Link seemed pretty troubled. Peach managed to be able to move her entire left hand and a bit of her head, too. She began to try to tilt it to one side so she could see Young Link while he spoke. She managed to abruptly, which scared him.

"Aah!!...Don't do that!" he cried. He sighed and looked at her.

"Sorry...it's just really tense nowadays. I guess there's not much I can do here but wait until Jigglypuff and the Captain come back with something to eat..." he said sadly. The princess was about to relax just a little bit when she spotted something strikingly familiar on the wall behind Young Link. She could see something on the wall. The wall was completely white like a blank canvas, but something was there. She could barely see it. Three curved slits were carved into the wall. There seemed to be no light source in the room, but the shadows were there. It looked like a face.

"W-what?" she said in her mind. Her eyes became wide as she had the startling realization that this...this happened before. Terror spread through her mind as she saw the three slits turn red. Her entire body began to shake and she desperately tried to say something, only making small sounds. The sedative did not put her to sleep, but it did leave most of her bodily functions inoperable. Young Link noticed this and became alert.

"What is it? Is something....wrong?" he asked. She saw the face continue to look at her from behind him, but she couldn't say anything. Young Link tried to remain calm and assert the situation.

"Does something hurt? Is that what you're trying to say?" he asked. She tried to shake her head wildly in order to answer his question, but she couldn't tell what she was doing. Something came out of the wall behind Young Link; two, grotesque-looking arms that came out of the wall, looking just like the material the wall was made of. They each had three fingers and were headed very slowly and sluggishly towards Young Link from behind. Peach was screaming in her mind for Young Link to get out of the room. He couldn't understand what she was doing and it frustrated her to no end. They were almost to him.

"I need to find someone...this could be serious. I'll be right back!" he said, getting up. But it was too late. The hands wrapped themselves around his neck and squeezed tightly.

"Ack!!" he cried. They looked as though they could've been liquid from the way they melded into each other. Young Link was lifted a few inches off the ground as he struggled to claw his way out of the thing's grasp.

"!!" Peach was screaming again in her head, but now in terror as they seemed to choke the very life out of Young Link with every second going by. He was kicking violently and trying to scream, but there was no air coming in or out of his body. Peach was hysterical. She watched the thing squeeze the life out of him and she couldn't do anything about it. She saw that his eyes began to close and...his feet began to go limp. She had to watch in horror as he...was dying. The three red slits on the wall vanished and only the arms remained. They slowly began to recede back into the wall with Young Link in its grasp. She couldn't believe what was happening and began to scream to herself that it's a nightmare. It had to be! This couldn't be happening to someone like Young Link...so young...

"!" A moment later, the arms pulled Young Link into the wall instantly as if he just vanished...but something horrifying was left behind; a large stain of a red liquid was left on the wall...some of it trickled down onto the floor. Peach couldn't take it anymore. She had suddenly regained her mobility and she pulled herself out of the restraints, screaming. They broke off as if they were nothing. She fell onto the ground, having been asleep for so long. She still wore her traditional princess gown, which somewhat caused the fall. She immediately sped towards the door, causing it to slam against the wall behind it violently and ran off into the halls of the mansion.

**End of Chapter Eleven**


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